Workers’ Comp Reform Advances in Oklahoma

Reform of the workers’ compensation system has been a priority for the Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma during the state’s 2013 legislative session and the group is pleased that a measure it has been actively involved with has moved quickly through the legislative process.

SB 1062, which changes the current court-based workers’ comp system to an administrative one and gives the option of developing an alternative benefit plan to qualified employers, passed the House of Representatives with some changes that await Senate approval.

Items of concern in the optional coverage provision have been addressed, the IIAO said. Those include: insistence that there be Guaranty Fund protection for insured and self-insured programs; no provisions that would allow these products to be sold through associations; exclusive remedy provisions; and limited hold harmless provisions for agents who sell the optional coverage.

Also advancing are other measures of interest to the IIAO: the CompSource Oklahoma mutualization bill (HB2201) and a bill concerning coverage for government entities under trust arrangements (SB692).