The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission has changed the name of an internal regulatory division and its working group that processes forms or initiatives to commence cases.

Chairman Mark Liotta

The division that reviews, approves and denies applications to self-insure or provide third-party administration services is now called the Permitting Services Division, rather than the Insurance Services Division.

WCC Chairman Mark Liotta said the former name of the division, which was inherited from the Workers’ Compensation Court, was confusing to the public.

"We regularly get calls about securing workers' compensation insurance coverage,” he said in a statement. “The WCC does not issue, regulate or involve ourselves in any way with the purchase or selling of insurance.”

The commission also announced a working group previously known as “Form 3” will now be called “Case Commencement.” The group processes all forms and initiatives through which a workers’ compensation case is started, and a Form 3 is just one way to open a case, the commission said.

In another change, the commission said the newly named group will be managed by the Legal Operations Division rather than the newly named Permitting Services Division.

Liotta said there is no logical tie between the Case Commencement group and the Permitting Services Division, and the management association “was a result of happenstance.”