“A relieved Gov. Mary Fallin recently announced that the Obama administration has agreed to wait a year before euthanizing the Insure Oklahoma health insurance program,” OCPA distinguished fellow Andrew Spiropoulos writes in his latest Journal Record column.

So why have the feds given us a reprieve? The administration perceives an opportunity to use our state’s leaders’ support of Insure Oklahoma as a wedge to break Oklahoma’s resistance to the expansion of Medicaid. …What’s the president’s plan? It’s very clever. He will offer to allow us to take all or part of the Medicaid expansion money and use it to expand Insure Oklahoma. The pitch is that we can keep our plan and get the money, too. However, here’s the truth — if we take the deal, it won’t be our plan any longer.

As usual, Spiropoulos is right on target. He says we mustn’t listen to the “cash-hungry medical providers, business shills, and their legislative enablers who are eager to sell out us out for the promise of federal dollars. We need to remember that the president isn’t offering to negotiate because he has seen the light. It’s because he feels the heat.” I encourage you to read the entire column here.