Neal: Workers’ Comp Reform Key to State’s Future
Workers comp reform key to state’s future
BY MIKE NEAL
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Workers compensation reform has led the Tulsa Regional Chamber and the Tulsa Regional OneVoice legislative agendas for many years. Businesses across the state identified workers compensation costs as the number one barrier to job growth in a recent business survey conducted by Gov. Mary Fallin and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
The allure of reform is of no surprise. As one of only two remaining judicial-based workers compensation systems in the U.S., Oklahoma’s system is antiquated and creates an adversarial environment which pits employers and employees against each other.
The result of this adversarial system is soaring costs for both employers and employees, as Oklahoma’s comp costs are ranked the sixth highest in the nation.
The current system places Oklahoma businesses at a significant competitive disadvantage regionally, as costs in Arkansas, Texas and Kansas are all substantially lower than Oklahoma’s and produce far better health outcomes for injured workers. Oklahoma’s system received a “D” rating in health outcomes by the Work Loss Institute.