To help rural Oklahoma families, expand Medicaid

Millions of Americans gained access to health coverage in 2014 when big parts of the Affordable Care Act kicked in – but the health law’s effects were always muted in Oklahoma. When Oklahoma policymakers declined to accept federal funds to… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s plan for Medicaid work requirements is a dangerous experiment that will put the health of thousands of Oklahomans at risk (Guest post: Philip Rocco)

Philip Rocco is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Marquette University and co-author of Obamacare Wars: Federalism, State Politics, and the Affordable Care Act (University Press of Kansas, 2016). This post is excerpted from a public comment authored by… Read more [More...]

How many Oklahomans would lose health coverage under reporting requirements? The state doesn’t say (Guest post: Dana Bacon)

Dana Bacon serves as regional director of government affairs for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As required by both executive order and state law, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) released an 1115 Medicaid waiver proposal for SoonerCare on July… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s Proposed Work Rule Would Harm Mothers and Children (Guest post: Joan Alker)

Joan Alker is the Executive Director of the Center for Children and Families and a Research Professor at the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy Oklahoma has one of the highest uninsured rates for children in the nation, and the… Read more [More...]

Episode 34: No job? No doctor. (with Carly Putnam & Hannah Katch)

The OK PolicyCast is hosted by Gene Perry with production help from Jessica Vazquez. You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or RSS. The podcast theme music is by Zébre. If you have any questions for the OK PolicyCast, topics you’d like us to cover,… Read more [More...]

Waiver proposal is a threat to health care for thousands of Oklahoma parents and caretakers

Thousands of Oklahoma families are able to see a doctor or fill a prescription because of the state’s Medicaid program, SoonerCare. But instead of working to strengthen this proven, cost-effective program, Oklahoma is asking the federal government for permission to… Read more [More...]

Now that Oklahoma’s federal Medicaid funding is climbing, let’s not repeat past mistakes

For Oklahoma families to prosper, they must be able to take advantage of work and educational opportunities. But working or doing well in school is much, much harder without consistent access to health care. SoonerCare, Oklahoma’s Medicaid program, provides that… Read more [More...]

Many devils in the details as Oklahoma moves toward a Medicaid work requirement

Earlier this month, Gov. Fallin signed HB 2932, directing the state to apply for federal permission to be allowed to remove low-income parents from health care coverage for failing to work enough hours in a given week. This comes on… Read more [More...]

With new work requirements, health care coverage for Oklahomans without internet access is at risk

Aaron Krusniak is an OK Policy intern and a third-year Computer Science major at the University of Tulsa with a focus in cybersecurity and smart urban planning. Between recently passed legislation and an Executive Order, Oklahoma is moving quickly to… Read more [More...]

Video series tells real-life stories of Oklahomans threatened by push to restrict SoonerCare

Thousands of Oklahoma parents need our state’s Medicaid program, called SoonerCare, just to fill a prescription or go to the doctor. But now, lawmakers are rushing to require these parents to work a certain number of hours per week or… Read more [More...]