Section 31.5 - QME Replacement Requests(a) A replacement QME to a panel, or at the discretion of the Medical Director a replacement of an entire panel of QMEs, shall be selected at random by the Medical Director and provided upon request whenever any of the following occurs:(1) A QME on the panel issued does not practice in the specialty requested by the party holding the legal right to request the panel.(2) A QME on the panel issued cannot schedule an examination for the employee within ninety (90) days of the initial request for an appointment, or if the 90 day scheduling limit has been waived pursuant to section of Title 831.3(e) of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, the QME cannot schedule the examination within one-hundred and twenty (120) days of the date of the initial request for an appointment.(3) The injured worker has changed his or her residence address since the QME panel was issued and prior to date of the initial evaluation of the injured worker.(4) A physician on the QME panel is a member of the same group practice as defined by Labor Code section 139.3 as another QME on the panel.(5) The QME is unavailable pursuant to section 33 (Unavailability of the QME).(6) The evaluator who previously reported in the case is no longer available.(7) A QME named on the panel is currently, or has been, the employee's primary treating physician or secondary physician as described in section of Title 89785 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations for the injury currently in dispute.(8) The claims administrator, or if none the employer, and the employee agree in writing, for the employee's convenience only, that a new panel may be issued in the geographic area of the employee's work place and a copy of the employee's agreement is submitted with the panel replacement request.(9) The Medical Director, upon written request, finds good cause that a replacement QME or a replacement panel is appropriate for reasons related to the medical nature of the injury. For purposes of this subsection, "good cause" is defined as a documented medical or psychological impairment.(10) The Medical Director, upon written request, filed with a copy of the Doctor's First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness (Form DLSR 5021 [see 8 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 14006 and 14007]) and the most recent DWC Form PR-2 ("Primary Treating Physician's Progress Report" [See 8 Cal. Code Regs. § 9785.2]) or narrative report filed in lieu of the PR-2, determines after a review of all appropriate records that the specialty chosen by the party holding the legal right to designate a specialty is medically or otherwise inappropriate for the disputed medical issue(s). The Medical Director may request either party to provide additional information or records necessary for the determination.(11) The evaluator has violated section 34 (Appointment Notification and Cancellation) of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, except that the evaluator will not be replaced for this reason whenever the request for a replacement by a party is made more than fifteen (15) calendar days from either the date the party became aware of the violation of section of Title 834 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations or the date the report was served by the evaluator, whichever is earlier.(12) The evaluator failed to meet the deadlines specified in Labor Code section 4062.5 and section 38 (Medical Evaluation Time Frames) of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations and the party requesting the replacement objected to the report on the grounds of lateness prior to the date the evaluator served the report. A party requesting a replacement on this ground shall attach to the request for a replacement a copy of the party's objection to the untimely report.(13) The QME has a disqualifying conflict of interest as defined in section of Title 841.5 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.(14) The Administrative Director has issued an order pursuant to section of Title 810164(c) of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations (order for additional QME evaluation).(15) The selected medical evaluator, who otherwise appears to be qualified and competent to address all disputed medical issues refuses to provide, when requested by a party or by the Medical Director, either: A) a complete medical evaluation as provided in Labor Code sections 4062.3(i) and 4062.3(k), or B) a written statement that explains why the evaluator believes he or she is not medically qualified or medically competent to address one or more issues in dispute in the case.(16) The QME panel list was issued more than twenty four (24) months prior to the date the request for a replacement is received by the Medical Unit, and none of the QMEs on the panel list have examined the injured worker.(b) Whenever the Medical Director determines that a request made pursuant to subdivision 31.5(a) for a QME replacement or QME panel replacement is valid, the time limit for an unrepresented employee to select a QME and schedule an appointment under section Labor Code section 4062.1(c) and the time limit for a represented employee to strike a QME name from the QME panel under Labor Code section 4062.2(c), shall be tolled until the date the replacement QME name or QME panel is issued.(c) In the event the parties in a represented case have struck two QME names from a panel and subsequently a valid ground under subdivision 31.5 arises to replace the remaining QME, none of the QMEs whose names appeared on the earlier QME panel shall be included in the replacement QME panel.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 31.5
1. New section filed 8-23-96; operative 9-22-96 (Register 96, No. 34).
2. Amendment of subsections (b), (b)(1) and (b)(3) and new subsections (b)(4)-(5) filed 4-14-2000; operative 5-14-2000 (Register 2000, No. 15).
3. Amendment of section and NOTE filed 1-13-2009; operative 2-17-2009 (Register 2009, No. 3).
4. New subsection (d), including new Form 31.5, filed 9-16-2013; operative 9-16-2013 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2013, No. 38).
5. Amendment filed 4-6-2020; operative 4-6-2020 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b). Submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(3) (Register 2020, No. 15).
6. Amendment of subsection (a)(2) filed 2-2-2023; operative 2-2-2023 (Register 2023, No. 5). Note: Authority cited: Sections 133, 139.2, 4061, 4062, 4062.3, 4062.5, 5307.3 and 5703.5, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 139.2, 4060, 4061, 4062, 4062.1, 4062.2, 4062.3, 4064 and 4067, Labor Code.
1. New section filed 8-23-96; operative 9-22-96 (Register 96, No. 34).
2. Amendment of subsections (b), (b)(1) and (b)(3) and new subsections (b)(4)-(5) filed 4-14-2000; operative 5-14-2000 (Register 2000, No. 15).
3. Amendment of section and Note filed 1-13-2009; operative 2-17-2009 (Register 2009, No. 3).
4. New subsection (d), including new Form 31.5, filed 9-16-2013; operative 9-16-2013 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3)(Register 2013, No. 38).
5. Amendment filed 4-6-2020; operative 4/6/2020 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b). Submitted to OAL for filing and printing only pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(3) (Register 2020, No. 15).
6. Amendment of subsection (a)(2) filed 2-2-2023; operative 2/2/2023 (Register 2023, No. 5).