On September 11, 2025, The California Legislature passed AB 1293 which is currently sitting at the desk of Governor Gavin Newson. If enacted into law, this bill will hopefully reshape the way medical-legal evaluations and reports are conducted and prepared a more streamlined approach.

The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) will be tasked with providing a standardized Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) report template for use by all parties beginning with evaluations on or after January 1, 2027.

Currently, medical-legal reports vary widely in structure, extent, and quality. They are like a box of chocolates, “you never know what you are going to get” or if there will be a chunk missing from one. Depending on certain QME’s of course. I have seen QME reports that are the ideal format and the content is clear and concise. However, these are few and far between. More likely, there have been occasions where the QME’s have left out certain sections completely, or failed to fully address an issue, leading to a supplemental report and added costs of litigation.

A specific template will likely help evaluators present findings in a clear and uniform way across the board. No more guessing where the two sentence causation section will be in the 100 page report or if it is even there. Although there is always the alternate scenario where a template will lead to more of a “copy paste” approach for each physician, but hey lets be optimistic. At least this move toward standardization represents one of the most substantial process reforms in recent years, aimed at improving clarity, consistency, and efficiency across the Workers Compensation system.

We have formatting requirements and forms for Primary Treating Physician (PTP) reports, and PR-4 (Permanent & Stationary) Reports, why not QME reports. Judges, attorneys, claims administrators, and injured workers all rely on Med-Legal reports to assess compensability, causation, apportionment, and disability. Yet report quality has long been uneven. Some reports are thorough and easy to interpret, while others are incomplete, disorganized, or written in ways that fuel disputes and delays.

The success of this reform will hinge on whether templates strike the right balance between clarity and flexibility. Overly rigid forms may risk oversimplifying complex medical opinions. In addition, the Administrative Director must design a template that incorporates all statutory and regulatory requirements necessary for a complete report that can constitute substantial evidence.

**NOTE** Use of a template does not automatically make a report accurate or complete. Reports will still be evaluated for sufficiency and substantial medical evidence standards.

Although forms are helpful, a good template should provide a checklist of required elements, helping evaluators avoid omissions that could undermine their reports. At the same time, evaluators must still exercise professional judgment — boilerplate answers won’t suffice. While we all welcome the drive for consistency, a one-size-fits-all report may not always capture the nuances of causation or apportionment.

Ideally, a greater consistency in reports should make it easier to evaluate evidence and identify issues for litigation. However, this streamlined approach could lead to stricter timelines as well. If passed, Employers, claims professionals, attorneys, and QMEs should monitor whether the DWC will issue draft regulations and consider submitting public comments.

For now, we will need to closely inspect each report at a time to ensure all the essential elements are present, even if they are ubiquitous and disorganized.