Bill > SB668

This bill modifies California's workers' compensation medical-legal expense fee schedule to provide more flexibility in updating rates. Specifically, the bill allows the medical administrative director to adjust the fee schedule every two years based on an evaluation of medical practice costs, including increases in the conversion factor (a financial calculation used to determine payment rates) and the per-page cost of reviewing medical records. The bill draws from the Medicare Economic Index to inform these potential adjustments. Under the existing system, medical-legal evaluations are used to help resolve contested workers' compensation claims, and fees are typically capped at a physician's regular rate or a predetermined fee schedule. The new provisions aim to ensure that physicians performing these evaluations are fairly compensated and that the fee schedule remains responsive to changing medical practice costs. The bill maintains existing protections that prevent providers from charging excessive fees, require itemization and justification for any fees above the scheduled rate, and prohibit providers from accepting additional compensation beyond the authorized fees. These updates are intended to keep the workers' compensation medical-legal expense system current and equitable for healthcare providers conducting evaluations.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB668