Topic: Health

New report shows number of uninsured children rising in Oklahoma

The report found that 8.2 percent of Oklahoma children in 2018 did not have health insurance, up from 8.1 percent the previous year. [More...]

Census data confirms we must do more to help Oklahoma children and families

New data from the Census Bureau shows that poverty in Oklahoma is still well above the national average. In 2018, nearly 1 in 6 Oklahomans (15.6 percent) lived below the poverty line, earning less than $25,100 for a family of… Read more [More...]

There are no good reasons not to expand Medicaid

It’s been over seven years since states first began expanding Medicaid to cover low-income working-age adults. To date, 37 states (including the District of Columbia) have opted to expand coverage, and not a single state having done so has since… Read more [More...]

Want healthier moms? Expand Medicaid

As a state, Oklahoma cares a lot about children and families, but we sometimes forget that a mother’s health is a critical piece of family health. When women are healthy, they have healthier pregnancies, healthier babies, and healthier families. But too many Oklahoma women die of child-birth related causes, and too many Oklahoma babies don’t live to see their first birthday. [More...]

Improving Oklahomans’ education is a key to better health (Capitol Update)

Excellent and accessible education and social services will lead the way to more productive people and better health, but as a state we seem to continue, for now to see ourselves as better off being a low-tax, low-service state. [More...]

Oklahoma Policy Institute is endorsing State Question 802. Here’s why

By endorsing SQ 802, we will stand with our longstanding partners, allies, and funders in promoting this nonpartisan effort to expand access to health coverage. [More...]

Medicaid expansion could help address Oklahoma’s surging meth crisis

In 2017, methamphetamine (also known as speed or ice) was one of the main contributors to Oklahoma’s overdose deaths. It’s difficult to recover from methamphetamine addiction — most individuals relapse within their first year of treatment. Medicaid expansion would allow the state to serve lower-income populations that are affected by meth use by making addiction treatment available to a greater portion of the state. [More...]

Lawmakers scramble to come up with Plan B on health care expansion (Capitol Update)

As often happens, on a given issue the people may be out ahead of the politicians they elect. Now it appears there is a lot of support for full expansion as proposed in SQ 802. [More...]

Trump Administration reaches right decision for wrong reasons on partial Medicaid expansion (Guest Post: Jessica Schubel)

The Administration’s decision to deny enhanced federal funding for partial expansion will protect coverage for millions of people who have it. It should also spur more states that have been considering partial expansion or other alternatives, such as Georgia and Oklahoma, to move forward with full expansion instead. [More...]

SQ 802: Medicaid Expansion – Information and resources

This page is a resource on the Oklahoma Medicaid expansion ballot initiative (SQ 802). It will be updated to reflect the most recent information available. [More...]