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Medicaid

Capitol Insider: Medicaid Expansion Passes - What's Next?

By • Jul 3, 2020
Oklahoma Watch

On June 30th, Oklahoma voters narrowly passed State Question 802 to expand Medicaid in the state. The vote not only placed the issue in the state Constitution, but gave an indication of the Oklahoma political landscape in the 2020 election year. KGOU's Dick Pryor and eCapitol's Shawn Ashley discuss the fallout of the 802 vote in the latest Capitol Insider.

The Economic Benefits And Perils Of Adopting Medicaid Expansion In Oklahoma

By Dan Epstein • Jun 30, 2020
Martha Nell Jones (right) is quick to sign the Medicaid expansion petition because she has several friends “who are in the poverty level who have problems with medical bills and they have been saying how much they need it.”
Jackie Fortier / StateImpact Oklahoma

The campaigns on both sides of State Question 802 have made numerous claims about the potential benefits and perils of Medicaid expansion. Independent producer Dan Epstein checked out some of those claims for Oklahoma Engaged.

Oklahoma Engaged: What Medicaid Expansion Could Mean For Oklahoma’s Indigenous Population

By Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton • Jun 24, 2020
Library of Congress

Next week people will head to the ballot box to vote on whether Oklahoma will expand Medicaid through State Question 802. Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton with Oklahoma Engaged explores the impact expanding Medicaid could have on tribes.

Oklahoma Engaged: Can SoonerCare Capacity Meet Medicaid Expansion’s Demand?

By Dan Epstein • Jun 17, 2020
Images Money / Flickr

If State Question 802 passes, approximately 200,000 more people will be eligible for SoonerCare, the state’s Medicaid program. Whether SoonerCare can handle the increased patient population is another question.

Oklahoma Engaged: The Long Road To Oklahoma's Medicaid Expansion Vote

By & Kurt Gwartney • Jun 10, 2020
Amber England, executive director of Yes on 802, speaks to supporters of Medicaid expansion at the Secretary of State’s office on Oct. 24, 2019, when the group submitted more than 300,000 signatures to add a state question on expansion a ballot in 2020.
Whitney Bryen / Oklahoma Watch

Campaign signs are appearing along roadways and advertisements are popping up on screens of all kinds as voters prepare to decide on expanding Medicaid coverage in Oklahoma. The June 30th election for state question 802 was a long time coming.

Moments Of Truth: 4 Remaining Scenarios For Medicaid Expansion

By & Trevor Brown • May 6, 2020
An empty hospital bed is seen at the now-closed Pauls Valley Regional Medical Center in October 2018. Supporters of Medicaid expansion say it will help improve the financial viability of many struggling rural hospitals in the state.
Whitney Bryen / Oklahoma Watch

Medicaid expansion is inching closer to reality in Oklahoma.

Legislative leaders announced a budget deal Monday that includes funding to expand the state’s Medicaid program and extend health coverage to more than 220,000 low-income residents.

Stitt Sets Vote On Medicaid Question; How Does It Compare With His Plan?

By Trevor Brown & Oklahoma Watch • Apr 20, 2020
Medical student Ashton Gores speaks to a crowd of Medicaid expansion supporters at the Secretary of State's office on Oct. 24. The group, Yes on 802, reported a record number of signatures on the peition to allow Oklahoma to vote on Medicaid expansion.
Whitney Bryen / Oklahoma Watch

After years of debate and political fights, Oklahomans learned Friday when they will get to vote on a proposal to use state and federal funds to extend health-care coverage to 200,000 low-income residents.

Oklahoma Could See Big Spending In Medicaid Expansion Campaign

By Trevor Brown & Oklahoma Watch • Dec 13, 2019

Oklahoma is poised to become the next battleground in a Medicaid expansion fight that has poured tens of millions of dollars into campaigns in other states.

Capitol Insider: Oklahoma Health Care Authority's New CEO On Medicaid And More

By • Nov 1, 2019
Caroline Halter/KGOU

In this episode of Capitol Insider, KGOU's Dick Pryor and eCapitol's Shawn Ashley interview Kevin Corbett, who recently left the private sector to run a state agency charged with ensuring all Oklahomans have health care. Corbett reflects on his transition and the possibility of Medicaid expansion. 

Advocates Push For Medicaid Expansion In Oklahoma

By & StateImpact Oklahoma • Oct 17, 2019
Oklahomans Decide Healthcare announced they have collected the required 178,000 signatures to get the question on the ballot.
Jackie Fortier / StateImpact Oklahoma

Oklahoma Medicaid expansion advocates are working to collect the required 178,000 signatures to get the measure on the ballot next year. It would mean extending health insurance to thousands of people—and an estimated $100 million dollar price tag. As StateImpact’s Jackie Fortier reports, Medicaid expansion could be decided at the ballot box or at the statehouse.

For 2nd Straight Year, Oklahoma Sees Increase In Number Of Uninsured

By Trevor Brown & Oklahoma Watch • Sep 11, 2019
Visitors enter an emergency room at a rural Oklahoma hospital.
Whitney Bryen / Oklahoma Watch

For just the third time this decade, more Oklahomans went without health coverage in the most recent year compared with the year before. The drop was slight, but could factor into discussions of proposals to expand Medicaid or make other policy changes.

Key Facts To Know About Medicaid Expansion Proposal

By & Trevor Brown • Aug 20, 2019

The question of whether to expand Medicaid and extend health insurance to thousands of Oklahomans promises to be a major topic over the next year.

The Healthcare Working Group, a bipartisan legislative committee charged with deciding whether to endorse Medicaid expansion or other policy moves, kicked off its work last week and is expected to unveil recommendations before next year’s session. Meanwhile, a signature-collecting drive is underway to put a state question on a 2020 ballot to accept expansion.

Capitol Insider: The Longshot Effort To Repeal Permitless Carry

By • Aug 16, 2019
Pixabay

In this episode of Capitol Insider, KGOU's Dick Pryor and eCapitol's Shawn Ashley discuss a last minute effort to repeal Oklahoma's newest gun law and more. 

Feds May Claw Back Millions From Oklahoma’s Opioid Settlement

By & StateImpact Oklahoma • Jul 5, 2019
Ryan LaCroix / Oklahoma Public Media Exchange

The federal government is seeking its slice of Oklahoma’s recent $270 million settlement with Purdue Pharmaceuticals, and the bill could be millions of dollars.

A Boon For The Uninsured Or A Path To Financial Crisis?

By & Trevor Brown • Jun 10, 2019

Cheaper, stripped-down health plans could soon see a resurgence in Oklahoma, potentially reducing the number of uninsured while leaving policyholders with unexpected medical bills.

Lawmakers Increase Education Funding, Kick Most Health And Criminal Justice Questions Down The Road

By StateImpact Oklahoma • May 23, 2019

Lawmakers adjourned the 2019 legislative session Thursday. StateImpact reporters followed a number of issues this year. They sit down to talk about the bills that made it to the end of the session and those that are in limbo.

Capitol Insider: Rep. Emily Virgin On Medicaid And Taxes

By • May 3, 2019
Dick Pryor/KGOU

In this episode of Capitol Insider, KGOU's Dick Pryor and eCapitol's Shawn Ashley discuss the Democratic budget proposal for the coming year with House Minority Leader Emily Virgin. Virgin talks about why her caucus wants to reverse income tax cuts and expand Medicaid. 

Medicaid Expansion Supporters Urge Oklahoma Lawmakers To Act

By & StateImpact Oklahoma • Apr 25, 2019
Supporters of Medicaid expansion gather at the state Capitol on April 24, 2019.
Jackie Fortier / StateImpact Oklahoma

A couple of hundred people rallied in support of Medicaid expansion at the state capitol on April 24. The rally was organized by a coalition of groups called Together Oklahoma, with the goal of pressuring state lawmakers to pass a bill expanding Medicaid in some form this legislative session. Supporters were bused in from Tulsa, Norman, Ardmore, McAlester, and Lawton.

Medicaid Work Proposal Could Prove A High Hurdle For Ex-Felons

By & Trevor Brown • Feb 4, 2019
Lena Chatmon, 21, prepares a meal for her fiance and sister, who live with her in a house in north Tulsa. Chatmon said potential employers were turned off by her criminal record.
Whitney Bryen / Oklahoma Watch

Like many other Oklahomans who have a criminal conviction, Lena Chatmon has struggled to rebuild her life since pleading guilty to motor vehicle-related and larceny charges in 2017.

Hospitals Post Prices For First Time, But Patients Are Unlikely To Find Clarity

By & Paul Monies • Jan 14, 2019
As of Jan. 1, hospitals have been required to post their prices. But the information is often difficult to understand, and hospitals say it doesn’t reflect what patients pay.
Whitney Bryen / Oklahoma Watch

For the first time ever, many Oklahoma hospitals are posting their prices online for every service or item they offer, creating a consumer menu.

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