CWCI: IMR Activity Dips for 1st Time Since 2022

The California Workers' Compensation Institute reported that independent medical reviews were down in the first nine months of 2026. CWCI said its review of 1.8 million IMR decision letters since 2015 found that 110,965 letters were issued in the first three quarters of 2026, down 3.1% from the same period last year. Although the dip is the first reduction since IMR volume began rebounding from a historic low in 2022, CWCI noted that the figure is higher than comparable nine-month totals for 2020 through 2024. The overall uphold rate for utilization review denials and modifications incre...