Articles
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Health Care
Lawmakers vote to alter catastrophic health law
Lawmakers narrowly approved changes to the law that allows the governor to declare a “catastrophic health emergency” during Wednesday’s floor votes, despite objections from critics who said the bill was too restrictive of local officials’ response in future pandemics.Ray Carter | May 14, 2020
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Tax/fee on health care, state savings, to fund Medicaid expansion
Facing a July 1 expansion of Medicaid, members of the Oklahoma Senate voted Wednesday to fund the expansion of the welfare program with a de facto tax on health care and by drawing down an undetermined and open-ended amount of state savings.Ray Carter | May 14, 2020
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Health Care, Law & Principles
Health worker protection advances over Democratic objections
Legislation to protect health care providers from COVID-19 lawsuits gained Senate approval Wednesday, despite Democratic efforts to block a final vote on the bill.Ray Carter | May 6, 2020
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Health Care
Medicaid expansion complicates budget planning
Gov. Kevin Stitt has filed federal paperwork to expand Oklahoma’s Medicaid program to include many able-bodied adults starting July 1, which he has labeled SoonerCare 2.0.Ray Carter | May 4, 2020
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Health Care
Immunity for those treating COVID-19 advances
Legislation to protect health care workers from some lawsuits while treating COVID-19 patients gained strong bipartisan approval in the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Monday.Ray Carter | May 4, 2020
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Health Care
Federal strings may abet Oklahoma Medicaid fraud, abuse
New federal legislation may hamper Oklahoma’s ability to determine Medicaid eligibility for new enrollees.Kaitlyn Finley | May 4, 2020
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Health Care, Economy, Culture & the Family
A day before broad business reopening, COVID-19 tracking stressed
With many businesses across Oklahoma poised to reopen in less than a day, albeit under safety restrictions, Gov. Kevin Stitt said Thursday that the state’s COVID-19 infection rate continues to decline. And officials announced they will be ramping up COVID-19 testing in the weeks ahead to keep the pandemic under control.Ray Carter | April 30, 2020
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Health Care
Agency may impede treatment despite governor’s order
Although Gov. Kevin Stitt has authorized hospitals to again perform “elective” surgeries by May 1, regulations released by the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) severely restrict the ability of many facilities to treat patients in a timely manner.Ray Carter | April 24, 2020
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Health Care
Uncertainty persists on Medicaid expansion, funding
While Gov. Kevin Stitt’s administration has filed federal paperwork to expand Oklahoma’s Medicaid program to cover hundreds of thousands of able-bodied adults, which officials have dubbed “SoonerCare 2.0,” a top legislative leader indicated Thursday that the expansion issue remains a topic of debate.Ray Carter | April 23, 2020
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Health Care, Culture & the Family
Stitt: Testing key to state’s reopening
Gov. Kevin Stitt and other officials say improved tracking of the COVID-19 virus will be crucial in reopening Oklahoma’s economy in the coming weeks.Ray Carter | April 17, 2020