DWC Adjusts Official Medical Fee Schedule for Physician/Non-Physician Practitioner Services
Summary
The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has posted an order adjusting the Official Medical Fee Schedule (OMFS) for Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Services. These adjustments, effective for services rendered on or after March 1, 2026, conform to 2026 Medicare payment system changes.
What changed
The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has issued an order adjusting the Official Medical Fee Schedule (OMFS) for Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Services. This update, required by Labor Code section 5307.1, aligns the OMFS with relevant 2026 changes in the Medicare payment system. Key adjustments include updated relative value units, Current Procedural Terminology coding, conversion factors (incorporating Medicare adjustments and inflation factors), National Correct Coding Initiative Edits, Table A anesthesia conversion factors, and the telehealth list.
This update is effective for services rendered on or after March 1, 2026. Healthcare providers in California must ensure their billing and coding practices align with these updated fee schedule provisions for services provided on or after the effective date. Failure to comply could result in payment denials or other compliance actions.
What to do next
- Review updated OMFS for Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Services.
- Update internal billing and coding systems to reflect changes in RVUs, CPT codes, conversion factors, and telehealth lists.
- Ensure all services rendered on or after March 1, 2026, are billed according to the adjusted fee schedule.
Source document (simplified)
NEWSLINE Release Number: 2026-16 Date: February 2, 2026
DWC posts adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule for Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Services
The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has posted an order adjusting the Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Services section of the Official Medical Fee Schedule (OMFS) to conform to relevant 2026 changes in the Medicare payment system as required by Labor Code section 5307.1. The Administrative Director update order adopting the OMFS adjustments is effective for services rendered on or after March 1, 2026. The adjustments include the following.
- Updated relative value units
- Updated Current Procedural Terminology coding
- Updated conversion factors (including consideration of Medicare relative value scale adjustments; Medicare Economic Index 2.7% inflation factor; the addition of the temporary 2.5% increase in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule made by the Statute at Large 139 Stat. 72 - Public Law No. 119-21 (07/04/2025))
- Updated National Correct Coding Initiative Edits
- Updated Table A – anesthesia conversion factors adjusted for Geographic Practice Cost Index localities
- Updated telehealth list The order, effective for services rendered on or after March 1, 2026, and related documents can be found at the DWC OMFS physician fee schedule webpage.
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