1. DWC

Newslines 2020



December 2020
December 31, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustment to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Ambulance Services)
December 29, 2020 Mileage Rate for Medical and Medical-Legal Travel Expenses Decreases Effective January 1, 2021
December 28, 2020 DWC Posts Updated MTUS Drug List Effective February 1, 2021
December 22, 2020 Save the Date for the 28th Annual DWC Educational Conference
December 17, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (DMEPOS)
December 11, 2020 DIR, DWC Release Independent Medical Review Progress Report for 2019
December 10, 2020 DWC Advises of Delayed Processing Times During Regional Stay-at-Home Orders
December 3, 2020 DWC Invites Physicians and Pharmacists to Apply for Appointment to the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee for 2021-2022 Term

November 2020
November 24, 2020 2020 - 2021 assessment notices
November 18, 2020 DWC Posts Additional Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Hospital Outpatient Departments/Ambulatory Surgical Centers)
November 5, 2020 DWC Posts 2019 Audit Unit Annual Report and the Ranking Report
November 2, 2020 DWC Announces Temporary Total Disability Rates for 2021

October 2020
October 30, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule Inpatient Hospital Section to Conform to Medicare Changes
October 28, 2020 DWC Issues Notice of Public Hearing on December 14 for Proposed Regulations Revising the Medical-Legal Fee Schedule
October 27, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustment to Official Medical Fee Schedule to Adopt Medicare Updated Telehealth List to Address the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Services)
October 14, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Hospital Outpatient Departments/Ambulatory Surgical Centers)
October 13, 2020 DWC Emergency Regulations for Medical-Legal Reporting in Response to COVID-19 are in Effect through March 12, 2021
October 12, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustment to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Section)
October 5, 2020 DWC Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Meeting Scheduled for October 21
October 2, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (DMEPOS)
October 2, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Physician Services / Non-Physician Practitioner Services)
October 1, 2020 Judge Dismisses $18 Million in Liens Claimed by Medical Provider Convicted of Fraud and Suspended by DWC
October 1, 2020 DWC Posts Updated MTUS Drug List Effective November 1, 2020

September 2020
September 28, 2020 DWC Posts Proposed Amendments to the Copy Service Fee Schedule to Online Forum for Public Comment
September 24, 2020 DWC Posts Order to Update Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS)
September 9, 2020 DWC and WCAB Continue to Expand Hearing Options at the District Offices

August 2020
August 24, 2020 DWC Posts Order to Update Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS)
August 12, 2020 DWC and WCAB Continue to Expand Hearing Options at the District Offices
August 11, 2020 DWC Accepting Applications for Qualified Medical Evaluator Examination in October
August 10, 2020 DWC Issues Notice of Conference Call Public Hearing for Proposed Evidence-Based Update to the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule

July 2020
July 16, 2020 DWC Announces Appointment to Ethics Advisory Committee
July 15, 2020 DWC Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Cancels July 22 Quarterly Meeting
July 9, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Hospital Outpatient Departments/Ambulatory Surgical Centers)
July 2, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (DMEPOS)
July 2, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustment to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Section)

June 2020
June 25, 2020 DWC Posts Proposed Amendments to Medical-Legal Fee Schedule to Online Forum for Public Comment
June 24, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Physician Services / Non-Physician Practitioner Services)
June 22, 2020 DWC Issues Notice of Conference Call Public Hearing for Proposed Evidence-Based Updates to the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule
June 15, 2020 DWC Posts Draft Revisions to the Pharmaceutical Fee Schedule on the DWC Forum and Invites Submission of Public Comments through July 3, 2020

May 2020
May 28, 2020 DWC Posts Additional Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Hospital Outpatient Departments/Ambulatory Surgical Centers)
May 28, 2020 DWC and WCAB Continue to Expand Hearing Schedule at the District Offices
May 27, 2020 DWC Posts Additional Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule for Pathology and Clinical Laboratory (Additional COVID-19 Codes/Fees Added)
May 27, 2020 DWC Posts ACOEM’s Coronavirus COVID-19 Guideline on MTUS
May 20, 2020 DWC, WCAB Update Forms to Identify Injuries Related to COVID-19
May 19, 2020 DWC Emergency Rulemaking Regulations for Medical-Legal Reporting in Response to COVID-19 are in Effect
May 14, 2020 DWC Cancels 27th Annual Educational Conference in Los Angeles
May 12, 2020 DWC Posts Additional Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule Including Expansion of Telehealth to Address COVID-19 Emergency (Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Services)
May 11, 2020 DWC Update on Proposed Emergency QME Regulations: Comments Accepted through Tuesday, May 12
May 6, 2020 DWC Posts Additional Adjustment to Official Medical Fee Schedule (DMEPOS) to Adopt Medicare Fee Schedule Increase Required by the CARES Act

April 2020
April 28, 2020 DWC and WCAB Expand Hearing Schedule at the District Offices
April 28, 2020 DWC Will Reschedule Canceled QME Examination in October
April 24, 2020 DWC Issues Notice of Proposed Emergency Rulemaking Action for Medical-Legal Reporting in Response to COVID-19
April 23, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule Inpatient Hospital Section to Conform to Medicare Changes
April 23, 2020 DWC Posts Additional Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule for Pathology and Clinical Laboratory (New COVID-19 Codes Added)
April 23, 2020 WCAB and DWC Allow for Limited Email Filing Options
April 13, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule to Encourage Provision of Telehealth Services for Workers’ Compensation Medical Treatment
April 6, 2020 DWC Cancels Quarterly Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Meeting Scheduled for April 22
April 3, 2020 DWC and WCAB Announce Updated Hearing and Filing Procedures
April 2, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Hospital Outpatient Departments/Ambulatory Surgical Centers)
April 2, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (DMEPOS)

March 2020
March 28, 2020 DWC Issues Emergency Measures for Medical-Legal Evaluations during Governor Newsom’s Stay-at-home Order
March 27, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustment to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Section) and Adopts COVID-19 Testing Codes
March 27, 2020 DWC Postpones MTUS Public Hearing Scheduled for March 30
March 24, 2020 All DWC Offices Open Except for Eureka, with Bakersfield Scheduled to Reopen on March 26
March 23, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Physician Services / Non-Physician Practitioner Services)
March 19, 2020 DWC Provides Guidance on Medical Evaluations During State of Emergency Period
March 18, 2020 WCAB Issues En Banc Order Regarding Rules, Office Closure During COVID-19 Emergency
March 17, 2020 DWC Temporarily Closing San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco Offices
March 16, 2020 DWC and WCAB Announce Modified Hearing Calendar & Filing Update
March 12, 2020 DWC Announces Request for Information to Update EAMS
March 5, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule for Physician Services/Non-Physician Practitioner Services to Implement Medicare Correction to the Correct Coding Initiative files

February 2020
February 27, 2020 DWC Posts Amendment to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Hospital Outpatient Departments and Ambulatory Surgical Centers)
February 27, 2020 DWC Issues Notice of Public Hearing for Proposed Evidence-Based Updates to the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule
February 13, 2020 DWC Announces Pilot for Electronic Submission of Doctor’s First Report of Injury
February 11, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule for Physician Services/Non-Physician Practitioner Services to Implement Second Medicare Correction to the Annual Update
February 5, 2020 DWC Posts Fee Schedule Adjustments for Hospital Outpatient Departments / Ambulatory Surgical Centers

January 2020
January 30, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule for Physician Services/Non-Physician Practitioner Services to Implement Medicare Corrections
January 30, 2020 DWC Posts Adjustment to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Section)
January 27, 2020 DWC Medical Unit Accepting Applications for Qualified Medical Evaluator Examination on April 18
January 9, 2020 DWC Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Meeting Scheduled for January 22 in Oakland
January 2, 2020 Mileage Rate for Medical and Medical-Legal Travel Expenses Decreases Effective January 1, 2020
January 2, 2020 WCAB’s Final Rules in Effect as of January 1