California Medical Bill Reviewer Certification
The CPWC track for the people who review and validate medical billing on California claims. 10 modules and the 30 classroom hours required of a new medical bill reviewer under 10 CCR §2592.
Adjusting claims rather than reviewing bills? Medical-Only is 18 modules at $1,899 and Indemnity is 24 modules at $2,499.
30 classroom hours
Meets California’s bill-review requirement under 10 CCR §2592
40 total hours
30 from IEA. The rest is employer on-the-job training.
10 modules
On demand. Start any time, no class dates.
No prerequisites
No experience required to begin.
Where the Medical Bill Review track fits in CPWC
CPWC has three tracks, set by the claims work a person actually does. This is Medical Bill Review, the shortest route in.
CPWC Medical Bill Review Track
10 modules. 30 classroom hours, the bill-review requirement.
Medical-Only is 18 modules at $1,899. Indemnity is 24 modules at $2,499.
Any module on its own, $119 each, in any order.
What the certification is, who it is for, and how employers use it.
What the Medical Bill Review track covers
- How California workers’ compensation works, and who pays for what
- Coverage, claim administration, and the role of the TPA
- The benefit set, and where medical billing sits inside it
- Medical terminology and reading a treating physician report
- Medical treatment, utilization review, and independent medical review
- The official medical fee schedule, billing codes and reimbursement rules
- Independent bill review, and lien defense and resolution
- Ethics, and surviving a DWC audit
What you’ll be able to do afterwards
- Read a medical bill against the California fee schedule
- Apply the right billing codes and catch overpayment before it happens
- Explain a reduction in terms a provider can act on
- Recognize when a dispute belongs in independent bill review
- Handle provider liens without escalating the file
- Keep billing records that hold up in a DWC audit
Track details
| Track | CPWC-MBR (Medical Bill Reviewer) |
| Modules | 10 of the 24 CPWC modules |
| Classroom hours | 30 hours, delivered by IEA |
| Total training required | 40 hours under 10 CCR §2592. The balance is employer on-the-job training. |
| Completion window | 12 consecutive months from the date you start adjusting claims |
| Format | Online and on demand. Start any time. |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Price | $1,079 |
| Materials | Sullivan on Comp, six months of access included |
| Post-designation CE | 16 hours every two years |
| Counts toward | The CPWC certification |
| Audience | New medical bill reviewers in California, and staff using bill review as a route into claims adjusting |
The 10 modules in the Medical Bill Review track
Every module is also available on its own for $119, in any order.
CPWC01 · Explore the historical foundations and evolution of California’s workers’ compensation system. Understand the purpose, key principles, and legal framework that shape claims handling today.
$119
CPWC02 · Learn the fundamentals of workers' compensation coverage, financing, and policy structures. Discover how claims are administered, including employer responsibilities and third-party administrators.
$119
CPWC07 · Get a complete breakdown of the benefits available to injured workers, including medical treatment, temporary and permanent disability, death benefits, and supplemental job displacement.
$119
CPWC08 · Navigate complex medical terminology used in workers' compensation. Learn about common diagnostic procedures, impairment assessments, and how medical evidence influences claims.
$119
CPWC09 · Understand the processes for authorizing and disputing medical treatment. Learn about the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS), utilization review (UR), and independent medical review (IMR).
$119
CPWC10 · Explore the role of Qualified Medical Evaluators (QMEs) and Agreed Medical Evaluators (AMEs). Gain expertise in resolving medical-legal disputes through proper reporting and procedural compliance.
$119
CPWC11 · Master California’s workers’ compensation fee schedules, medical billing codes, and reimbursement guidelines. Learn how to analyze bills and avoid overpayment pitfalls.
$119
CPWC12 · Gain practical skills in managing liens, including medical provider liens, interpreter fees, and copy service disputes. Learn negotiation strategies to minimize claim costs.
$119
CPWC13 · Understand ethical obligations in claims handling. Learn about conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and best practices for maintaining integrity in workers' compensation administration.
$119
CPWC14 · Prepare for claim audits by mastering the regulatory framework enforced by the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC). Learn how to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.
$119
Who the Medical Bill Review track is for
Most CPWC seats are bought by an employer for someone who has just started adjusting claims.
You are starting out
30 classroom hours is what California asks of you, and this is all of it in one place.
You are training a hiring class
Seats you assign as people start, completion records for the file, and no class dates to wait for. Most CPWC seats are bought this way.
You want a route into claims
Every module here counts toward Medical-Only and Indemnity. This is the most affordable way to start.
What the Medical Bill Review track is not
Worth being clear about what you are buying before you enroll.
California approves no course
No provider is approved or listed by the state. Your employer decides what it accepts and certifies compliance itself. CPWC is built to the published curriculum.
Bill-review scope
This meets the medical bill reviewer requirement. Adjusting claims needs the Medical-Only or Indemnity track.
California-specific
California statute, regulation and case law throughout. Other states work differently.
The experts behind the CPWC curriculum
CPWC is built on Sullivan on Comp, a 16-chapter analysis of California workers’ compensation law, updated monthly. The attorney who co-writes it reviews and revises this course.
Karen Heffernan
Former Vice President of Training, Sedgwick
Rebuilt the CPWC curriculum in 2024.
Sure Log, Esq.
Of Counsel, Michael Sullivan & Associates
Co-author of Sullivan on Comp. Reviewed and revised CPWC’s content and exams for regulatory compliance in 2026.
Medical Bill Review track questions, answered
Yes, for the classroom portion. Under 10 CCR §2592 a new medical bill reviewer completes 40 hours of training within 12 consecutive months, of which 30 must be classroom. CPWC-MBR delivers the 30 classroom hours. The remainder is employer-provided on-the-job training.
California approves no training providers and no courses. The Department of Insurance publishes the required hours and curriculum topics; your insurer, TPA or self-insured employer decides which training it accepts, issues the designation form, and certifies compliance to the Commissioner each year. CPWC is built to that curriculum and IEA provides completion records for the employer’s file.
Scope. A medical bill reviewer needs 40 hours including 30 classroom. A medical-only adjuster needs 80 including 50. An indemnity adjuster needs 160 including 120. Each track is built to its own tier.
Yes. All 10 modules here count toward Medical-Only and Indemnity. Talk to a counselor about the upgrade rather than buying a full track again.
Yes. 10 CCR §2592.01(c) defines a classroom as a space where instructor and students can communicate privately, and the instructor “may be physically present or may communicate with students by means of an electronic medium, including, but not limited to, audio, video, computer, or Internet.”
Buy seats against your hiring plan and assign them as people start. Volume pricing begins at two enrollments, purchase order and NET 30 are available, and you get certificates and CE records for every learner.
Post-designation training is 16 hours every two years for medical bill reviewers. Missing it costs the designation until the training is done. Source: 10 CCR §§2592.04, 2592.14.
Yes. CPWC is built on Sullivan on Comp and enrollment includes six months of access.
Regulatory figures on this page were verified against Sullivan on Comp in August 2026. Confirm current deadlines against the Department of Industrial Relations and Department of Insurance before relying on them for a live claim.
Enroll in the Medical Bill Review track, or take a single module
CPWC-MBR is $1,079 for all 10 modules and the full 30 classroom hours. Any single module is $119 on its own and counts toward the track.
Pay over time with ShopPay.
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