Texas Labor Code - LAB § 413.0311. Review of Medical Necessity Disputes;  Contested Case Hearing

(a) This section applies only to an appeal of an independent review organization decision regarding determination of the medical necessity for a health care service.

(b) A party to a medical dispute described by Subsection (a) is entitled to a contested case hearing.  A contested case hearing under this section shall be conducted by an administrative law judge in the manner provided for contested case hearings under Subchapter D, Chapter 410.  1  Notwithstanding Section 410.024, a benefit review conference is not a prerequisite to a contested case hearing under this section.

(c) The decision of an administrative law judge under this section is final in the absence of a timely appeal by a party for judicial review under Subsection (d).

(d) A party who has exhausted all administrative remedies under Section 413.031 and this section and who is aggrieved by a final decision of the administrative law judge under Subsection (c) may seek judicial review of the decision.  Judicial review under this subsection shall be conducted in the manner provided for judicial review of a contested case under Subchapter G, Chapter 2001, Government Code, except that the party seeking judicial review under this section must file suit not later than the 45th day after the date on which the division mailed the party the decision of the administrative law judge.  For purposes of this subsection, the mailing date is considered to be the fifth day after the date the decision of the administrative law judge was filed with the division.

(e) The division and the department are not considered to be parties to the medical dispute for purposes of this section.