Texas Workers’ Comp Commissioner: Post-Harvey Deadline Extensions to End in January

The Texas Department of Insurance – Division of Workers’ Compensation has issued a bulletin announcing a date for the end of extensions for workers’ comp deadlines and procedures related to Hurricane Harvey.

Due to gubernatorial disaster proclamations issued after Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast on Aug. 25, deadlines for specified workers’ compensation procedures involving system participants who reside in the counties listed in the disaster proclamation were ordered paused in an Aug. 29 bulletin issued by the DWC.

The DWC now says normal claims processing and dispute resolution operations will go back into effect beginning Jan. 10, 2018.

Although the tolling (or paused) period is lifted effective Jan. 10, 2018, it is the continuing expectation of TDI-DWC that insurance carriers will continue to provide efficient and timely services to injured employees, health care providers, and policyholders and not extend medical and income benefit payment timeframes unless the extension is absolutely necessary.

Source: TDI-DWC