DIR Has Met Most Recommendations From 2019 Audits on QMEs, Hiring Practices

The Department of Industrial Relations has fully or partially implemented more than 20 recommendations from a pair of 2019 audits that criticized the department for its handling of medical-legal issues and hiring practices, according to the California State Auditor's office. In November 2019, State Auditor Elaine Howle issued a report stating the DIR failed to ensure that California’s workers’ compensation system had enough qualified medical evaluators and that QMEs were filing quality med-legal reports. Earlier that year, Howle issued a separate report that found former D...