TWC benefits at risk after declining job offer due to scabies diagnosis - will my ER documentation be enough?

You should be fine as long as you have the medical documentation showing your diagnosis and treatment. TWC considers medical reasons as \

Thank you so much for responding! I did upload the prescription info too. Do you think I should try to get something in writing from the doctor specifically about the quarantine? Or would calling TWC directly to explain help my case?

i had something kinda similar happen when i got covid last year. twc was actually pretty understanding when i explained everything. just make sure u document EVERYTHING and keep following up. good luck!!

Thanks for sharing! That makes me feel a bit better. Did you have to speak with someone directly or did they just review your documents?

had to talk to someone. took FOREVER to get thru tho

I CANNOT BELIEVE how difficult TWC makes these situations!! You have a LEGITIMATE medical condition and they still make you jump through hoops!! When I had my benefits reviewed last year they wanted documentation for EVERYTHING and even then they still put my claim \

That's exactly what I'm worried about. I've been trying to call but can't get through. The wait times are insane and I keep getting disconnected after waiting for an hour!

From my experience dealing with TWC, you need to take two actions to protect your benefits:\n\n1. Get additional documentation from your doctor explicitly stating the quarantine requirement. Even a brief note will help tremendously.\n\n2. Try to get the job offer delay in writing from the restaurant manager. A simple text confirmation would be sufficient.\n\nThe medical documentation you have now might be enough since scabies is recognized as contagious, but having explicit documentation is always better when dealing with TWC determinations. If they do question your claim, you'll have 14 days to appeal and provide additional documentation.

Thank you for the detailed advice! I'll try to get both of those documents ASAP. If they do question it and I appeal, will my benefits continue during the appeal process or will they be stopped?

Benefits are typically paused during the appeal process, unfortunately. That's why it's crucial to get ahead of this with proper documentation before a determination is made. If you win the appeal, you'll receive back payments for the weeks that were paused.

scabies is super contagious so i think youre fine. my cousin had it last year and her work made her stay home for like a week. twc should know that you cant be around people with that condition.

Try using Claimyr to get through to TWC directly. I spent days trying to get someone on the phone about my medical exemption documentation last month and was about to give up. Then I found this service that gets you connected to TWC agents without the wait. Cost me a few bucks but totally worth it to actually talk to someone who could help. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh\n\nOnce I got through, the agent noted my account with all the details about my situation, which protected my benefits when they reviewed my case. You should check out claimyr.com if you're still struggling to reach someone.

Thank you for this suggestion! I hadn't heard of this service before. Did the TWC agent actually add detailed notes to your account? I'm worried they'll just tell me to wait for the review process.

Yes, the agent added specific notes to my file about my medical situation. I made sure to ask them to read back what they wrote so I knew exactly what was documented. They can't promise how your case will be decided, but having those notes definitely helped when my documents were reviewed.

wait did u actually verify that scabies qualified as a reason to turn down work? my sister got benefits denied for something health related and twc said it wasn't serious enough or something? maybe different now idk

Scabies is considered a valid reason because it's highly contagious and requires isolation to prevent spreading to others. The key difference is that it's not just about the individual's ability to work, but the public health aspect of potentially infecting coworkers or customers. TWC generally recognizes contagious conditions as valid reasons for work refusal, especially in food service environments.

Make sure you keep requesting payment every two weeks EVEN IF you're waiting for them to review your documentation!!! I made the mistake of not doing my payment requests while waiting for a decision and lost a month of benefits I could never get back!!! Don't make my mistake!!!

That's really good to know - I probably would have made that exact mistake. I'll keep doing my payment requests no matter what.

One additional piece of advice - when you speak with TWC, specifically reference Texas Administrative Code §815.28(a)(2)(E) which states that good cause for refusing suitable work includes