The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has announced a public hearing to be held on March 13, 2023, for proposed amendments to the Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) Regulations. Keep reading to learn more about how to attend as well as the topics to be discussed.
What You Need To Know
According to the DWC, the general purpose of the public hearing is “to bring existing regulations into compliance with amendments to the Labor Code, and to clarify the Administrative Director’s authority with respect to the process related to appointment and reappointment of Qualified Medical Evaluators (QMEs), which is granted by relevant statutory authority.”
Some of the topics to be discussed include the following:
- Clarification with regard to definitions to conform to changes made by Senate Bill 863, recent changes made to the Medical Legal Fee Schedule, and the addition of electronic service of documents
- Provisions prohibiting providing false information on the application or reapplication for appointment
- Provisions to conform amended regulations with proper gender pronouns
- Revision of the amount of hours necessary for initial qualification of chiropractors as QMEs
- Revision of continuing education requirements including hourly requirements and the addition of anti-bias training for QMEs
- Provisions that require a QME to be in compliance with all Administrative Director’s regulations in order to be reappointed as a QME. There is also a new regulation that provides a specific implementation of existing discretionary authority of the Administrative Director pursuant to Labor Code section 139.2
- Clarification of the use of probation as a disciplinary sanction and allow the Administrative Director to designate hearing officers for adjudication of disputes regarding appointment and reappointment applications
- Clerical changes to the regulation on QME unavailability
- Among others
How To Attend
From QMEs themselves to insurance professionals, anyone interested in the QME regulations should consider attending the March 13 hearing.
Here’s the information you need to know if you are interested in attending the public hearing.
- Date: March 13, 2023
- Time: 10:00 a.m.
- Place: Auditorium of the Elihu Harris Building
- Address: 1515 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612
DWC will also accept written comments on the QME regulations until 11:59 p.m. of March 13, 2023.
For more information about QMEs and their duties, read our previous blogs: “Medical Legal Billing: What Is the Difference Between a QME and an AME?” and “California’s DWC Is Accepting Applications for April 2023 QME Examination.’
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