NU Online News Service, May 16, 3:15 p.m. EDT--Texas House and Senate leaders are due to work out a compromise later this week on an overhaul of the workers' compensation systems following Friday's passage of the two competing models.
Joe Woods, regional manager for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, expressed confidence that a compromise will be reached on the major differences in the bills.
On Friday, both chambers passed competing versions of the bill with differences focusing on governance issues.
The House version would put the system under the Texas Department of Insurance, while the Senate version will create a separate governing entity.
The bills will create managed-care style medical networks that business leaders have been lobbying for to reduce costs. The current system generally allows workers to pick their physician from a state-approved doctor list. The two versions differ slightly on how open the system will be to outside providers.
Mr. Woods said the House version would offer benefits workers receive for time off from work that would be more expensive than those offered by the Senate.
"We are concerned that these costs will wipe out the savings created by the managed-care network," he said.
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