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CWCI Study Examines Changes in the California Workers' Comp Med-Legal ProcessThe average amount paid for an individual medical-legal service in the California workers' compensation system rose 66 percent in the 8 years that followed the 2006 revisions to the medical-legal fee schedule, as the mix of medical-legal services shifted away from those reimbursed at a flat fee toward time-based services such as follow-ups within 9 months of a prior evaluation, comprehensive evaluations involving extraordinary circumstances and supplemental reports. The findings are part of a new California Workers' Compensation Institute (CWCI) study that reviews the legislative reforms, regulatory changes and judicial decisions that have reshaped the medical-legal process for resolving workers' comp claim disputes over the past quarter century; provides an update on the quantity, mix and average payments for medical-legal services in the wake of the 2002-2004 reforms; and generates benchmark data for use in future studies on the impact of the 2012 reforms, which introduced independent medical review as a new means for resolving treatment disputes. Among the key findings of the study:
CWCI has published its study, including additional details, tables and analyses in a Research Note, "The Changing Nature and Cost of the Medical-Legal Process in California Workers' Compensation." CWCI members and members of the public who are CWCI research subscribers can access the full 20-page report as well as a 2-page summary Bulletin by logging into the Institute's website.
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