OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed eight bills on Tuesday, including one for an overhaul of workers' compensation law.
The workers' compensation bill, a 200-plus rewrite of the state's laws on the subject that emerged in the final week of the state's legislative session, was the product of a working group that included representatives from insurance companies, business and industry, medical community, and attorneys from both sides.
A key focus of the bill is to establish medical guidelines for treating injured workers designed to speed up the process by which employees get back on the job. It also directs the administrator of the Workers' Compensation Court to reduce the fee schedule for medical reimbursement rates by 5 percent and further requires physicians and the court to adhere to a nationally recognized set of treatment guidelines, called the Official Disability Guidelines, which is expected to dramatically reduce medical costs.
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