Workers' compensation: neuropsychologists.

Existing workers' compensation law generally requires employers to secure the payment of workers' compensation, including medical treatment, for injuries incurred by their employees that arise out of, or in the course of, employment. Existing law requires the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation to appoint qualified medical evaluators in each of the respective specialties as required for the evaluation of medical-legal issues, including medical doctors and osteopaths who meet specified requirements, including, among others, that the evaluator is board certified in a specialty by a board recognized by the administrative director and the appropriate regulatory board, or the evaluator has successfully completed a residency training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Existing law also provides that the requirements for a psychologist to be appointed as an evaluator include either being board certified in clinical psychology by a board recognized by the administrative director, holding a doctoral degree in psychology or a doctoral degree sufficient for licensure, and having at least 5 years of specified experience, or having at least 5 years of postdoctoral experience and having previously served as a medical evaluator. This bill would provide that a medical doctor or osteopath who has successfully completed a residency or fellowship program accredited by a predecessor to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education would satisfy the residency training requirement. The bill would provide that a person who is certified in neuropsychology by specified boards or organizations, or who is a clinical psychologist licensed to practice in the state, holds a doctoral degree in psychology, and has at least 2 years of specified experience and training, and has served as an agreed medical evaluator in neuropsychology on 5 or more occasions may be appointed by the administrative director as a qualified medical evaluator in neuropsychology. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature relative to the need for neuropsychologists in the workers' compensation system. The bill would make additional technical, nonsubstantive changes. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.