Articles
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Health Care
Mental health spending could face scrutiny
While Oklahoma state government has increasingly spent more money on mental health treatment, it appears lawmakers have struggled to keep track of that spending and if it has generated positive results, based on legislation that has advanced through a Senate committee.Ray Carter | February 21, 2020
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Health Care
Price transparency—not welfare expansion—the key to health care reform
Oklahoma’s political leaders must not further disincentivize work and create a new dependency class by expanding medical-welfare entitlements. Only greater price transparency and competition in health care will reduce health care prices.Kaitlyn Finley | February 20, 2020
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Tobacco funds eyed to cover surging Medicaid costs
Grappling with the surging expense of Oklahoma’s Medicaid program and the potential for even greater costs if a ballot measure expanding the program passes later this year, members of a Senate committee have voted to redirect state tobacco settlement funds to Medicaid.Ray Carter | February 20, 2020
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Health Care
The immorality of ‘free’ federal money
Oklahoma must expand welfare in order to get more federal dollars—this a common argument for the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. It makes sense, unless you have all the facts.Trent England | February 18, 2020
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Health Care
Federal court strikes blow to Medicaid work-requirement effort
Upholding a lower court ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently ruled that work requirements cannot be imposed on Medicaid recipients because the goal of the program is simply to increase health coverage, not to improve health outcomes or encourage self-sufficiency and independence from government welfare.Ray Carter | February 17, 2020
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Budget & Tax, Health Care
Bill would save state money, then give savings to tribal governments
Oklahoma state government could generate millions of dollars in savings by cost-shifting Medicaid costs to the federal government, but half of state government savings would then be given to tribal governments under legislation approved by a Senate committee on Monday.Ray Carter | February 11, 2020
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Health Care
Funding Medicaid expansion through hospital fees draws opposition
The Supplemental Hospital Offset Payment Program (SHOPP), a state fee assessed on hospitals’ net patient revenue that operates much like a traditional income tax, has been touted as a way to fund Oklahoma’s state share of Medicaid-expansion costs.Ray Carter | February 10, 2020
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Health Care
Stitt declares support for Medicaid expansion
Reversing a stance he has publicly touted throughout his term, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Thursday he will support expansion of Oklahoma’s Medicaid program to include up to 628,000 able-bodied adults at a state taxpayer cost of as much as $374 million annually.Ray Carter | January 30, 2020
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Health Care
Is Saint Francis shortchanging Muskogee?
Muskogee officials claim Saint Francis has failed to pay necessary in-kind payments to the city, hurting public school funding.Kaitlyn Finley | January 23, 2020
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Health Care
Indiana Medicaid expansion tied to budget challenges
The rising cost of Indiana’s Medicaid program is creating budget challenges for that state that have prevented lawmakers from addressing other needs, including schools.Ray Carter | January 21, 2020