SECTION 133.210. Medical Documentation

(a) Medical documentation includes all medical reports and records, such as evaluation reports, narrative reports, assessment reports, progress report/notes, clinical notes, hospital records and diagnostic test results.

(b) When submitting a medical bill for reimbursement, the health care provider shall provide required documentation in legible form, unless the required documentation was previously provided to the insurance carrier or its agents.

(c) In addition to the documentation requirements of subsection (b) of this section, medical bills for the following services shall include the following supporting documentation:

(1) the two highest Evaluation and Management office visit codes for new and established patients: office visit notes/report satisfying the American Medical Association requirements for use of those CPT codes;

(2) surgical services rendered on the same date for which the total of the fees established in the current Division fee guideline exceeds $500: a copy of the operative report;

(3) return to work rehabilitation programs as defined in §134.202 of this title (relating to Medical Fee Guideline): a copy of progress notes and/or SOAP (subjective/objective assessment plan/procedure) notes, which substantiate the care given, and indicate progress, improvement, the date of the next treatment(s) and/or service(s), complications, and expected release dates;

(4) any supporting documentation for procedures which do not have an established Division maximum allowable reimbursement (MAR), to include an exact description of the health care provided; and

(5) for hospital services: an itemized statement of charges.

(d) Any request by the insurance carrier for additional documentation to process a medical bill shall:

(1) be in writing;

(2) be specific to the bill or the bill's related episode of care;

(3) describe with specificity the clinical and other information to be included in the response;

(4) be relevant and necessary for the resolution of the bill;

(5) be for information that is contained in or in the process of being incorporated into the injured employee's medical or billing record maintained by the health care provider;

(6) indicate the specific reason for which the insurance carrier is requesting the information; and

(7) include a copy of the medical bill for which the insurance carrier is requesting the additional documentation.

(e) It is the insurance carrier's obligation to furnish its agents with any documentation necessary for the resolution of a medical bill. The Division considers any medical billing information or documentation possessed by one entity to be simultaneously possessed by the other.

(f) Workers' compensation health care networks established under Insurance Code Chapter 1305 may decrease the documentation requirements of this section.

Source Note: The provisions of this §133.210 adopted to be effective May 2, 2006, 31 TexReg 3544