TITLE 8. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
DIVISION 1. DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
CHAPTER 1. DIVISION OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION-QUALIFIED MEDICAL EVALUATOR

Article 4. Evaluation Procedures

§43. Method of Measurement of Psychiatric Disability.

(a) For all claims arising before January 1, 2005, not subject to section 43(b), the method of measuring the psychiatric elements of a disability shall be as set forth below in the "Psychiatric Protocols" as adopted by the Industrial Medical Council on July 16, 1992, and amended on March 18 and October 25, 1993. The full text of this document is available at no charge on the web at www.dir.ca.gov/IMC/guidelines.html or by calling the Medical Unit at 1-800-794-6900.

(b) For all claims having dates of injury on or after January 1, 2005, and for those compensable claims arising before January 1, 2005, where there has been either no comprehensive medical-legal report or no report by a treating physician indicating the existence of permanent disability, or when the claims administrator, or if none the employer, is not required to provide the notice required by section 4061 to the injured worker, the method of evaluating the psychiatric elements of impairment shall include describing the employee's symptoms, social, occupational and, if relevant, school functioning, and describing the rationale for the evaluator's assignment to a level of impairment as published in the Permanent Disability Rating Schedule adopted by the Administrative Director on or after January 2005 pursuant to section 9805 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.

 Note: Authority cited: Sections 133, 139.2(j)(4) and 5307.3, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 139.2(j)(4), 4060, 4061, 4062, 4062.1, 4062.2, 4067, 4628 and 4660, Labor Code, and Section 9805 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.

 HISTORY 

   

1. New section filed 12-7-93; operative 1-6-94 (Register 93, No. 50).

2. Change without regulatory effect amending section filed 3-15-94 pursuant to title 1, section 100, California Code of Regulations (Register 94, No.11).

3. Change without regulatory effect amending section filed 9-7-95 pursuant to  section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 95, No.36).

4. Change without regulatory effect amending section filed 7-12-2001 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2001, No. 28). Pursuant to this filing, material adopted pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act that had previously been incorporated by reference in the California Code of Regulations was instead printed in full in the California Code of Regulations.

5. Amendment of section heading, section and Note filed 1-13-2009; operative 2-17-2009 (Register 2009, No. 3).