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AB 2292

Disability benefits: certificates.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Chris Ward

AB 2292 bans charging administrative fees for completing or recertifying disability benefit certificates, ensuring medical eligibility certification costs are not borne by claimant

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
#disabilitybenefits #certificates
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Bill Summary · AB 2292

Summary of AB 2292 (Session 2025-2026) – Disability benefits: certificates

Purpose and intent

  • AB 2292 aims to restrict charging of administrative fees by physicians or practitioners for certain paperwork related to unemployment compensation disability benefits.
  • The bill seeks to ensure that the process of certifying medical eligibility for disability benefits is not financially burdened by administrative fees charged solely for completing or recertifying certificates or forms.

Key provisions and changes

  • Amends Section 2708 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.
  • Prohibits physicians or practitioners from:
    • Charging an administrative fee to complete a certificate required for disability benefits.
    • Charging an administrative fee for a recertification examination or for completing a form that maintains continued eligibility for disability benefits.
  • Allows exceptions where physicians or practitioners may bill for:
    • Medical services provided in connection with an examination.
    • Copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles for the examination or service, as long as these charges are not imposed solely for completing a certificate or form.
  • Maintains existing provisions that a claimant must establish medical eligibility for each period of disability, with first claims including diagnosis, diagnostic codes (ICD), and medical facts based on examination and history, and that continued claims must be supported by appropriate physician/practitioner certification.
  • Keeps the department’s authority to require additional medical evidence, at no additional cost to the claimant, if necessary to support claims.
  • Addresses special circumstances for care-related certifications (e.g., leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition) and for bonding certificates (with a separate form for bonding with a newborn or foster/adopted child).
  • Includes provisions related to certifications for care outside California and certain foreign-licensed physicians/practitioners, with safeguards against false claims (e.g., possible suspension of certifications if cooperation is lacking) and prohibitions on filing certificates from foreign practitioners convicted of filing false claims for five years.
  • Defines “physician” and “practitioner” for purposes of this section and assigns implementation funding to the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund (where applicable).

Persons, entities, and programs affected

  • Unemployment Insurance Disability benefit program (California) administered under the Department of Industrial Relations.
  • Treating physicians and practitioners who provide certificates or conduct examinations related to disability benefit claims.
  • Claimants of unemployment compensation disability benefits, including those with:
    • Initial disability claims
    • Continued/discontinued eligibility claims
    • Leave to care for family members with serious health conditions
    • Bonding leave (birth/adoption/foster care contexts)
  • Hospitals and medical facilities involved in certifying disability (as carriers of initial/continuing disability information).
  • Foreign-licensed physicians/practitioners who provide care while a claimant is outside the U.S. or within foreign jurisdictions, subject to specific conditions.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The bill is part of the 2025-2026 California Legislature and has progressed through multiple committee steps. It was amended in the Assembly (April 16, 2026; March 16, 2026) and moved through the Senate later in May–June 2026.
  • No new appropriations are requested in the bill’s Digest; the main focus is on prohibiting administrative fees and clarifying certificate requirements.
  • Effective dates are tied to the act’s full enactment and subsequent implementation by the Department, with related subprovisions referencing ongoing regulatory alignment (as with ICD diagnoses and medical fact statements).

Practical impact and considerations

  • For claimants: Potential reduction in out-of-pocket costs related to filing and maintaining disability benefits, since administrative fees for completing certificates and recertifications would be prohibited.
  • For providers: Physicians/practitioners may need to adjust billing practices to exclude administrative charges for certificate forms and recertifications, while continuing to bill for legitimate medical services and standard copayments/coinsurance.
  • For the disability program: A clearer process for eligibility certification and ongoing verification, with protections against abuse (e.g., false claims) and a framework for handling international treatment scenarios.

Note: This summary reflects the bill text and accompanying Legislative Counsel Digest as of the latest available amendments and action history.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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