February 11, 2026 | SIBTF.org — The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has scheduled a public hearing for February 27, 2026, to consider adopting the latest American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) guidelines into the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS). The proposed updates focus on chronic pain management and eye disorders, reflecting the DWC’s ongoing commitment to integrating evidence-based standards into workers’ compensation medical treatment.
What Is the MTUS and Why Is It Important?
The MTUS serves as California’s official evidence-based framework for medical treatment in workers’ compensation cases. It guides physicians, claims administrators, and utilization review entities in determining medically necessary care. By standardizing care expectations, the MTUS helps ensure that injured workers receive safe and effective treatment while reducing unnecessary or non-evidence-based interventions.
Updating the MTUS to reflect the latest ACOEM guidelines is critical because clinical evidence evolves rapidly. Treatments and diagnostic strategies that were standard several years ago may now be considered outdated or suboptimal. Incorporating current guidance helps maintain patient safety, optimize recovery outcomes, and ensure compliance with best practices.
Why Chronic Pain Guidelines Are Being Reviewed
Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent and challenging conditions in workers’ compensation, often contributing to prolonged disability and delayed return-to-work outcomes. The latest ACOEM chronic pain guidelines emphasize multimodal approaches, including functional restoration, physical therapy, and judicious use of pharmacological interventions.
The DWC’s review will evaluate how these updates could be integrated into the MTUS to improve treatment effectiveness while minimizing overutilization of medications, particularly opioids. Proponents of adoption argue that these guidelines can enhance clinical decision-making, streamline care pathways, and reduce the incidence of prolonged disability.
How Eye Disorder Recommendations Could Impact MTUS
Eye disorders, ranging from refractive errors to chronic ocular surface disease, are also included in the proposed guideline updates. ACOEM recommendations aim to clarify diagnostic thresholds, treatment criteria, and follow-up protocols for common ocular conditions encountered in occupational settings.
Incorporating these standards into the MTUS may affect preauthorization requirements, treatment duration limits, and the use of diagnostic imaging for workers with eye injuries. Healthcare providers and claims administrators will need to adjust their documentation and care review processes to comply with updated MTUS expectations.
Who Can Participate in the February 27 Hearing?
The public hearing is open to all stakeholders, including physicians, insurers, employers, injured workers, and advocacy groups. Participants may provide oral testimony or submit written comments to ensure their perspectives are considered in the rulemaking process.
Engagement is particularly important because MTUS adoption can directly influence treatment approvals, claim processing timelines, and clinical compliance requirements. Early stakeholder input helps create a robust administrative record and ensures that guidelines are practical, evidence-based, and patient-centered.
How Providers and Claimants Should Prepare
Healthcare providers should review current chronic pain and eye disorder protocols and compare them with the proposed ACOEM guidelines. Documentation practices, diagnostic criteria, and care pathways may need updating to align with anticipated MTUS revisions.
Claimants and their representatives should monitor the rulemaking process and consider participating in the hearing if they have insights or concerns regarding patient care and access to necessary treatments. Understanding guideline changes in advance can help minimize disruptions to ongoing treatment plans.
What the DWC Hopes to Achieve
By considering these guideline updates, the DWC aims to ensure that the MTUS reflects state-of-the-art clinical evidence, promotes consistent and high-quality care, and supports sustainable workers’ compensation practices. Integrating ACOEM guidance also demonstrates California’s commitment to ongoing evaluation and improvement of medical treatment standards.
For official details on the hearing agenda, participation instructions, and submission deadlines, visit the DWC public notices page.
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FAQs: ACOEM Guideline Hearing and MTUS Update
What is the MTUS and why does it matter?
The Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS) is California’s evidence‑based compendium of treatment guidance for workers’ compensation. It informs authorized medical treatment decisions and utilization review standards.
What are the ACOEM guidelines being considered?
The DWC is reviewing the latest ACOEM recommendations for chronic pain conditions and eye disorders to determine if they should be adopted into the MTUS.
When and where is the public hearing?
The DWC has scheduled the hearing for February 27, 2026. Specific agenda and participation information is available on the DWC public notices webpage.
How can stakeholders participate in the process?
Interested parties may submit written comments or provide oral testimony at the hearing. Early engagement is recommended to ensure input is included in the official administrative record.