Covering the uninsured is not a hard problem (Steve Lewis Capitol Updates)

Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. You can sign up on his website to receive the Capitol Updates newsletter by email.

The House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Public Health and Social Services, chaired by Rep. Doug Cox (R-Grove), an emergency room physician, took up three interim studies this week on the topic of trying to find a way to provide healthcare for Oklahoma’s 665,000 uninsured.  Over 17% of our population is uninsured which means over 1 in 6 people.  The three studies were requested by Rep. Emily Virgin, Rep. David Perryman, Rep. Joe Dorman and Rep. Chuck Hoskin, all Democrats.  It’s encouraging that Speaker Jeff Hickman, our Republican Speaker, approved the studies, something he didn’t have to do.

The testimony consisted of various healthcare professionals and advocates laying out some of the relevant facts together with their request that the legislature and our state leaders give serious thought to solutions.  Wow!  The problem with this problem is that from a policy standpoint it’s NOT a hard problem.  The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will provide about $4 billion to expand Medicaid to many of these people–an average $400 million per year over 10 years–if Oklahoma would accept it.  Others could be covered by Marketplace plans.  At some point in the future Oklahoma would have to provide a small match, but that is offset by ACA coverage of medical services that are now being paid for by state dollars.   

A lot in life is unfair.  And a lot of it you can’t do anything about.  But we know that in most instances early detection and proper treatment of health problems changes everything for a person’s life.  That usually doesn’t happen unless you have healthcare coverage.  So there are few things more unfair than some people having available healthcare and some people not having it.  And this is something we in Oklahoma can do something about, just by accepting our own share of federal money, no matter how you structure it or what you call it. 

I think it’s wrong to assume we won’t fix the problem.  Good people of all political persuasions do not want to see people suffer or die prematurely and unnecessarily.  When the ACA was first passed, the governor and some Republican legislators worked hard to find the right path.  Some were rewarded by opposition in their next election, which, by the way, they soundly defeated.  This is not a Democratic or Republican problem or an Obama problem.  It’s an Oklahoma problem, and we’ve put our elected leaders in charge of solving problems.  I think it’s fair to assume they are up to it.