Program overview
When the parties cannot agree on an evaluator, the DWC Medical Unit issues a 3-physician QME panel; each side strikes one name (8 CCR § 108). QMEs must complete DWC-approved training, including the online QME course updated with UC Berkeley COEH.
Rating framework
Labor Code § 4660(b)(1) incorporates the AMA Guides 5th Edition. The 2005 PDRS (8 CCR § 9805) applies impairment plus the Four Adjustments (age, occupation, diminished future earning capacity, apportionment) to reach the permanent disability rating.
Partial items
Telehealth status for QME evaluations was not confirmed; check current DWC guidance before relying on it.
California runs a QME programme and rates on ama guides 5th (Labor Code § 4660(b)(1)). The rating standard is set by the jurisdiction, not by the examiner, so the same clinical findings can produce different numbers across the 10 states profiled here.
Key facts
| Program | QME |
| Agency | California Division of Workers' Compensation, Medical Unit |
| Statute / rules | Labor Code 4060–4062.9; 8 CCR 31.3–31.7; 8 CCR 9805 |
| AMA Guides edition | 5th Edition |
| Edition basis | Labor Code § 4660(b)(1) |
| MMI rules | Permanent disability rated at MMI per the 2005 PDRS |
| Key forms | QME Form 100 (application); QME Form 105 (panel selection instructions) |
| Fee schedule | 8 CCR 17; Medical-Legal Fee Schedule 2021 (ML201 comprehensive evaluation fee) |
| Telehealth | Not confirmed |
