Healthcare advocates asked lawmakers Tuesday to find solutions to reduce Oklahoma’s uninsured population -- whether it be accepting Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act or via its own state funded alternative.
The comments were made in the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Public Health during a combination of interim studies related to healthcare funding, access and the uninsured.
The studies were requested by Reps. David Perryman, D-Chickasha; Emily Virgin, D-Norman; Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs; Chuck Hoskin, D-Vinita.
Approximately, 665,000 Oklahomans are uninsured and many rely on the safety net of the hospital emergency room, said Rick Snyder, vice president of finance for the Oklahoma Hospital Association.
“Hospitals have always been the safety net and have always been treating patients that are uninsured and have a long tradition of providing care first and asking for payment later,” Snyder said.
The Muskogee Phoenix reports:
Oklahoma’s relatively high number of uninsured residents costs taxpayers an estimated $954 million a year, according to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. The state agency reported this month it will need $164 million in addition to its base appropriation of about $953 million to maintain present levels of coverage through its SoonerCare — or Medicaid — program. The extra funding is needed due to a 4 percent program growth and lost federal funding. That funding and more could be made up by expanding its Medicaid program pursuant to the Affordable Care Act. But that option appears to be a poison pill for politicians trying to distance themselves from President Barack Obama.
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