California Department of Industrial Relations
05/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/04/2026 17:04
DWC posts proposed amendments to the qualified medical evaluator regulations to online forum for public comment
NEWSLINE
The Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) has posted proposed amendments to the qualified medical evaluator (QME) regulations to its online forum where members of the public may review and comment on the proposals.
The changes are being proposed to help the Qualified Medical Evaluator program provide better service to the workers' compensation community.
The draft regulations include:
- Clarification of the eligibility requirements to become a qualified medical evaluator.
- Updates the time requirements for administration of the QME examination.
- Clarification of the eligibility requirements to become a qualified medical evaluator for retired physicians.
- Updates the time requirements for the Medical Unit to respond to applications.
- Provides requirements for availability of office locations and parameters for listing offices as remote only locations.
- Provides requirements for online panel selection for Uninsured Employers Benefit Trust Fund (UEBTF) cases.
- Adds additional replacement panel criteria.
Updates specific regulations to ensure greater clarity and consistency in their enforcement.
The forum can be found on the DWC forums webpage under "current forums." Comments will be accepted on the forum until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026.
California Department of Industrial Relations published this content on May 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 04, 2026 at 23:04 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]