Articles
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Health Care
Walmart dives into the primary-care market
Walmart is shaking up the health care industry by offering low-cost primary-care services to its retail customers.Kaitlyn Finley | October 21, 2019
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Health Care
Medicaid fraud, mispayments cost taxpayers billions
Despite the fact that approximately 800,000 adults were mistakenly added to Medicaid rolls in expansion states, some Oklahoma lawmakers still seek to expand this welfare program.Kaitlyn Finley | October 10, 2019
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Health Care
Lankford warns Medicaid expansion involves high costs
If Oklahoma expands its Medicaid program to cover able-bodied adults, as allowed by the federal Affordable Care Act, Oklahoma government will have to either raise taxes or divert money from other programs, U.S. Sen. James Lankford warns.Ray Carter | October 10, 2019
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Health Care
Expert: Lack of transparent pricing, unneeded procedures, driving up health costs
Politicians’ attempts to increase insurance coverage will do little to reduce medical costs or ensure appropriate medical care, according to a top medical expert.Ray Carter | October 7, 2019
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Health Care
Don’t be fooled: Federal government holds all the Medicaid cards
Medicaid expansion has proven to be a costly mistake for states. Oklahoma lawmakers should be wary of expanding Medicaid in exchange for temporary “conservative” reforms.Kaitlyn Finley | October 4, 2019
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Health Care
Is Oklahoma’s food-stamp program indirectly harming citizen health?
Researchers estimate personal behaviors account for 40 percent of the determinants of health, with another 30 percent attributed to genetics. Health care accounts for just 10 percent.Ray Carter | September 27, 2019
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Health Care
Officials confirm: Many uninsured already receive care through Indian Health Service
After weeks of speculation, officials confirmed that one-in-10 uninsured Oklahomans today can access free health care treatment through the Indian Health Service system and various tribal facilities.Ray Carter | September 26, 2019
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Health Care
Medicaid expansion wouldn’t cover Oklahoma children
If Oklahoma expanded Medicaid, hundreds of thousands of able-bodied, working-age adults could sign up for Medicaid. No expansion dollars would go towards needy Oklahoma children on Medicaid now.Kaitlyn Finley | September 23, 2019
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Health Care
Hospital official urges support for controversial ‘fee’
During a recent meeting of the Healthcare Working Group, hospital officials urged policymakers to preserve a “provider tax” to obtain federal Medicaid funding. But that program and others like it have been criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike as a “scam,” and one legislative leader noted federal reform may require meaningful changes to the program.Ray Carter | September 23, 2019
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Health Care
Officials say Medicaid harms hospital finances, then seek its expansion anyway
Hospital officials urged members of the bicameral Healthcare Working Group to add up to 628,000 able-bodied adults to Oklahoma’s Medicaid program, even though they said they lose money serving Medicaid patients, the program does not guarantee patients access to treatment, and Medicaid effectively raises the cost of private insurance.Ray Carter | September 19, 2019