BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2072
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 9, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                     AB 2072 (Eng) - As Amended:  April 24, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              InsuranceVote:13 
          - 0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Commission on Health and Safety and 
          Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) to report to the Legislature by 
          December 31, 2013, on whether acupuncturists, whether or not 
          they have obtained qualified medical evaluator (QME) status, 
          possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to conduct 
          disability evaluations in the workers' compensation system. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Based on previous studies of a similar nature, this report would 
          likely cost between $350,000 and $500,000 (Workers' Compensation 
          Administration Revolving Fund). 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . The intent of this bill is to determine whether it 
            is appropriate for acupuncturists who complete the training to 
            become qualified medical evaluators have the ability to 
            determine disability for purposes of workers' compensation.  

           2)Qualified Medical Evaluators  . QMEs in the workers' 
            compensation system conduct an evaluation to determine 
            compensability of a disputed medical issue, including course 
            of treatment and causation, and evaluate whether or not the 
            injury causes a permanent disability. QMEs are referred to as 
            "physicians" within the system, whether or not they are 
            actually medical doctors. Current law provides that physicians 
            and surgeons, psychologists, acupuncturists, optometrists, 
            dentists, podiatrists, and chiropractors are "physicians" as 
            that term is used in the workers' compensation law, and 








                                                                  AB 2072
                                                                  Page  2

            therefore eligible to be appointed as QMEs.

           3)Related Legislation  . Currently, AB 1454 (Solorio) authorizes 
            certain audiologists to be qualified medical evaluators (QMEs) 
            in the workers' compensation system.  That bill recently 
            passed in the Assembly and is awaiting hearing in the Senate. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916) 
          319-2081