Bill Text: CA SB668 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Workers’ compensation: medical-legal expenses: fee schedule.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Failed) 2026-02-02 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB668 Detail]
Download: California-2025-SB668-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Senate
April 24, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 668
| Introduced by Senator Hurtado |
February 20, 2025 |
An act to amend Section 5307.6 of the Labor Code, relating to workers’ compensation.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 668, as amended, Hurtado.
Workers’ compensation: medical-legal expenses: fee schedule.
Existing law establishes a workers’ compensation system, which provides for comprehensive medical-legal evaluations to assist in the resolution of contested claims. Under existing law, fees for medical-legal evaluations are charged at a rate not to exceed a physician’s regular fee, or the fee schedule set by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation, whichever is lower. Existing law requires that the schedule set fees for procedures according to relative values and a conversion factor, allowing for modifiers, as specified. Existing law requires the medical-legal fee schedule to be revised at the same time the fee schedule for medical treatment is revised.
This bill would authorize the medical
administrative director to adjust the fee schedule every 2 years based on an evaluation of certain medical practice costs, including increases in the conversion factor and the per-page cost of reviewing records, as specified. The bill would require the medical administrative director to update the fee schedule at specified times, including at the time they adopt and revise the reasonable maximum fees for, among other things, drugs and pharmacy services provided to an injured employee.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 5307.6 of the Labor Code is amended to read:5307.6.
(a) (1) The administrative director shall adopt a fee schedule for medical-legal expenses as defined by Section 4620 that shall be prima facie evidence of the reasonableness of fees charged for medical-legal expenses. The schedule shall be adopted and revised at the time the administrative director adopts and revises the medical fee schedule pursuant to Section(2) The schedule shall consist of a series of procedure codes, relative values, and a conversion factor producing fees that provide remuneration to physicians performing medical-legal evaluations at a level equivalent to that provided to physicians for reasonably comparable work, and that additionally recognizes the relative complexity of various types of evaluations, the amount of time spent by the physician in direct contact with the
patient, and the need to prepare a written report.
(3) The administrative director may adjust the fee schedule every two years based on an evaluation of medical practice costs, including consideration of increases in the conversion factor and the per-page cost of reviewing records as informed by the most current Medicare Economic Index.
(b) A provider shall not be paid fees in excess of those set forth in the fee schedule established under this section unless the provider provides an itemization and explanation of the fee that shows that it is both a reasonable fee and that extraordinary circumstances relating to the medical condition being evaluated justify a higher fee; provided, however, that in no event shall a provider charge in excess of their usual fee. The employer and
employee shall have standing to contest fees in excess of those set forth in the fee schedule.
(c) In the event of a dispute between the provider and the employer, employee, or carrier concerning the fees charged, the provider may be allowed a reasonable fee for testimony if the provider testified pursuant to the employer’s or carrier’s subpoena and the judge or referee determines that the fee charged was reasonable and justified by extraordinary circumstances.
(d) (1) A provider shall not request or accept any compensation, including, but not limited to, any kind of remuneration, discount, rebate, refund, dividend, distribution, subsidy, or other form of direct or indirect payment, whether in money or otherwise, from any source for medical-legal expenses if
that compensation is in addition to the fees authorized by this section. In addition to being subject to discipline pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (k) of Section 139.2, any provider violating this subdivision is subject to disciplinary action by the appropriate licensing board.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to medical-legal expenses for which the administrative director has not adopted a fee schedule.
