Laws providing protections and compensation to injured workers were first passed in Texas in 1913. Over the years these laws have become the basis for a process known as workers’ compensation, which provides payment for medical expenses and a percentage of lost wages for employees that experience work-related injuries or illnesses.

In Texas, even though a workers’ compensation program is not required, those businesses wanting to provide occupational injury benefits to their employees have two options. One choice is through participation in the state managed workers’ compensation system. A second choice allows businesses to administer their own benefits by “nonsubscribing” or “opting-out” of the state system. The option to nonsubscribe affords Texas businesses the choice to manage their own occupational injury programs producing advantages for their employees as well as the company.

It is estimated that 33 percent of Texas employers are nonsubscribers providing them the option to put in place effective safety, medical, and rehabilitative programs for their employees. Because of the focus employers place on the worker’s well-being and the personalized nature of most of their services, employees in nonsubscription programs have historically rated satisfaction with their occupational injury program higher than their counterparts in the workers' compensation system. Through the coordination and efficiencies that they provide, nonsubscription programs provide businesses millions of dollars in savings which they can, in turn, invest in their employees, their operations, and their communities.

Our forefathers made sure Texas businesses were afforded the choice of managing their own claims when they passed the state’s first workers’ compensation laws. Today, employees and employers continue to agree that companies are making nonsubscription benefit plans work for all involved. The Alliance believes nonsubscription remains a reasonable and responsible choice for Texas businesses and is committed exclusively to preserving this right for the state’s employers.


...working for Texas employees

• Nonsubscription offers employees a responsible approach to accessing a high level of quality care.
• Nonsubscription offers employees timely and effective medical treatment.
• Nonsubscription focuses on rehabilitation and recovery providing the employee a timely return to work.
• Nonsubscription programs continue to be required by law to meet high community standards through federal regulations and legal reviews.
• Studies indicate employees of nonsubscribers are more satisfied with their benefits and treatment than employees of subscribers.

...working for Texas businesses

• Nonsubscription results in millions of dollars in savings for Texas businesses.
• Nonsubscription provides employers a proven and effective choice to manage their occupational injury claims that best meets the needs of their employees.
• Nonsubscription allows employers to work directly with injured employees in coordinating their rehabilitation and recovery.

...working for Texas communities

• Nonsubscription savings allow for:
• Job creation
• Increases in employee salaries and benefits
• Investment in the growth of operations and expansion of facilities
• Community support of local causes and programs

...working for the Texas economy

• Nonsubscribers include many of the state’s leading employers.
• Nonsubscribers have stores, facilities, and operations in all parts of Texas.
• Nonsubscribers are a significant driver in the state’s economy through their generation of jobs, salaries, and taxes paid.