Emergency med-legal telehealth rules extended

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation on Wednesday announced an extension of emergency rules allowing remote medical-legal evaluations intended to give qualified medical evaluators and injured workers more flexibility to schedule exams during the pandemic.

The rules set to expire Tuesday were extended through Jan. 18, 2023, in what is the last time the regulations can be readopted on an emergency basis.

DWC said in a statement that the emergency regulations help injured workers and employers continue to move their workers compensation claims toward a resolution and avoid additional and undue delay by addressing how medical-legal evaluations may proceed during this emergency period.

DWC has also launched the process of adopting permanent rules allowing remote med-legal exams and is holding a public hearing in November.

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