Topic: Health Coverage

Managed care isn’t a silver bullet: Improving Oklahoma’s health outcomes requires multi-faceted investments

We must look at the factors that actually impact health and increase our investment in the mental, physical, and economic well-being of all Oklahomans.  [More...]

A SoonerCare success story

As Oklahoma moves to implement Medicaid expansion in July 2021, some 200,000 newly eligible Oklahomans will gain access to affordable health care, and the state will see significant economic returns. [More...]

Happy Birthday ACA! And what federal COVID relief means for your health care

The recently passed American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) builds on the success of the ACA and further strengthens the health care safety net. The ARPA will provide many Oklahomans with a new or significantly less expensive pathway to affordable health care by providing additional health-related funding to states and more direct assistance to Oklahomans.  [More...]

New OK Policy report shows intricate, fragile interconnectedness of public assistance programs for Oklahomans in need

A new report from the Oklahoma Policy Institute — entitled “Plateaus and Cliff Effects in Oklahoma” —  is among the first of its kind to examine how public supports and income interact to impact low-income Oklahomans. [More...]

Managed care will have a disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities

About this Series This is the third of three analysis pieces about the plan to introduce managed care organizations (MCOs) to oversee Oklahoma’s Medicaid program. Part one focused on managed care being a bad investment for Oklahoma, and part two… Read more [More...]

Managed care will be bad for patients and providers

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) is currently accepting proposals from corporations, in an effort to privatize Medicaid and outsource the services that OHCA has successfully provided for decades. Managed care has already failed in Oklahoma, with no evidence to suggest the market has changed since the last attempt. This transition would not only be a significant financial risk for the state, but would likely harm both patients and providers. [More...]

Managed care is a bad investment for Oklahoma

Following voters’ approval of Medicaid expansion during the June 30 election, Oklahoma’s next steps should be relatively simple. The state has already been providing high-quality, low-cost Medicaid for years; the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) has a decades-long track record of excellence in efficiency and effectiveness. OHCA could expand Medicaid to cover more than 200,000 low-income Oklahomans for between $125 million and $164 million, all without raising taxes.   [More...]

Ensuring Medicaid expansion delivers on its full potential

While voting to expand Medicaid was a monumental step forward, the subsequent decisions by our elected officials and policymakers are just as important to ensure that Oklahomans get the most impact from their investment. The state’s processes moving forward with expansion will impact hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans and it’s important they get it right. [More...]

Census data show Oklahoma still lags nation in poverty rate

Proposed policy solutions • Second federal relief package • Implement Oklahoma’s Medicaid expansion quickly • Enforce federal eviction moratorium • Rent assistance New Census data released today show Oklahoma’s poverty rate remained higher than the national average in 2019 but… Read more [More...]

‘We really needed Medicaid expansion a long time ago’

Medical student Daniel Pham has seen firsthand the benefits Medicaid expansion would have on Oklahoma’s most vulnerable residents. He believes expansion is the first step to lowering Oklahoma's uninsured rate, making our communities healthier, and providing Oklahomans with the care they deserve. [More...]