Tag: health insurance

New Census data shows many still left out of Oklahoma's prosperity

Almost 1 in 4 Oklahoma children lived in families that fell below the poverty line in 2011, according to new Census Bureau data released today. The poverty rate for Oklahomans under 18 was estimated at 23.0 percent in 2011, an… Read more [More...]

Avoiding the Medicaid 'coverage crater'

When Congress approved a prescription drug benefit for the Medicare program in the mid-2000s, it created the infamous ‘Medicare donut hole‘ – a large gap in coverage of prescription drug costs. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), the landmark health care… Read more [More...]

The Affordable Care Act: What has it done for you lately?

This week marks two years since landmark health care reform legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was signed into law.  While some of the law’s major provisions have yet to take effect, many of the rule-changes and programs that have… Read more [More...]

New insurance rule throws the baby out with the bathwater

As the Affordable Care Act is implemented across the nation, states have taken varying approaches to making sure coverage is available for all children.  While most states have done a good job maintaining and ensuring the availability of health insurance… Read more [More...]

Play It Again: The cliff effect – "Sorry, I can't afford that raise"

Last week, the Department of Human Services announced new co-payment and eligibility rules for the child care subsidy program, which we discussed in this post. By lowering the eligibility threshold for subsidies, the new rules will worsen the “cliff effect”… Read more [More...]

Guest Blog (Julie Miller-Cribbs, MSW, PhD): Young and Uninsured in Oklahoma

Julie is an Associate Professor and Assistant Director of the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work. The number of uninsured individuals in Oklahoma has reached approximately 600,000 individuals. Almost half of Oklahoma’s uninsured are between the ages of… Read more [More...]

Health Care Reform (7): It's more than a mandate

This is the seventh in an ongoing series of posts examining the Affordable Care Act, including previous posts on the Temporary High Risk Pool, health insurance exchanges and tax credits for small businesses.  You can also visit the health care… Read more [More...]

Health Care Reform (6): Implementing Insurance 'Exchanges'

This is the sixth in an ongoing series of posts examining the Affordable Care Act, including previous posts on the Temporary High Risk Pool and tax credits for small businesses.  You can also visit the health care reform page on… Read more [More...]

New data on poverty and uninsured show recession's continued effects

The U.S. Census Bureau today released its annual report on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage for 2009 based on its March Current Population Survey.  The data reflected the severity of the recession throughout 2009: the national poverty rate rose… Read more [More...]

Health care reform (4): Tax credits for small business

This is the fourth in an ongoing series of posts looking at the impact of the new federal health care reform law on Oklahoma and Oklahomans. Our previous posts have explored the “cliff effect” , the  impact on state budgets… Read more [More...]