'A very joyful moment': Medicaid expansion takes effect in Oklahoma

Jul. 1—After more than a decade of fierce debate about whether Oklahoma should expand Medicaid, the Sooner State on Thursday became the 37th state to implement Medicaid expansion and offer health benefits to more low-income residents.

Medicaid expansion has been one of the most heated political topics in Oklahoma since the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010.

Supporters of State Question 802, which Oklahoma voters passed last year to expand Medicaid, celebrated the change that is expected to result in roughly 200,000 more Oklahomans qualifying for Medicaid benefits.

About 25% of Oklahomans are already enrolled in Medicaid, but the expansion allows adults ages 19-64 whose income is 138% or lower than the federal poverty level to qualify.

More than 124,000 Oklahomans have qualified for Medicaid benefits under the expansion, according to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

"A lot of effort went into getting 124,000 people signed up in 30 days," said Health Care Authority CEO Kevin Corbett. Agency representatives have heard lots of Oklahomans crying out of joy as they have helped them sign up for benefits, he said.

The agency will launch a marketing campaign next week to help encourage newly eligible residents to sign up for Medicaid.

When SQ 802 campaign manager Amber England found out more than 100,000 Oklahomans had qualified for Medicaid benefits in the first few weeks of enrollment for the expansion, she started crying. England said she was overwhelmed by seeing the immediate impact of SQ 802 after enrollment began June 1.

"I'm sad that it took 10 years of struggle, and finally, a vote of the people to make this happen, but obviously, this is a very joyful moment," she said. "It was a lot of hard work to get us here, and I'm just thankful that these folks are going to have access to life-saving care."

Oklahoma voters narrowly passed SQ 802 last summer. The question passed by 6,488 votes, and some Republican state lawmakers have cited SQ 802 in their reasoning for trying to alter Oklahoma's initiative petition process.

In a Wednesday forum hosted by the Oklahoma Policy Institute, Oklahoma Hospital Association President Patti Davis called the expansion of Medicaid the highlight of her career.

The hospital association donated $2.5 million to advance SQ 802. Numerous health care groups pitched in on the effort to garner support for SQ 802 through a coalition called Oklahomans Decide Healthcare.

"On behalf of our entire coalition, we can collectively take a deep breath and say, 'we did it,'" Davis said.

In Missouri, Republican state lawmakers this year declined to fund Medicaid expansion even though voters approved the expansion in a statewide referendum.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, said after the passage of SQ 802, there was never a question about funding the expansion.

"It was always our intention to fund Medicaid expansion," he said.

The state's 10% share of Medicaid expansion is expected to cost $164 million in the current fiscal year. The federal government will cover the other 90% of expansion costs.

If the enrollment stays at or below 200,000 people, the cost should remain in line with the estimate, Thompson said.

Initially, the Health Care Authority will cover the expansion costs with additional federal funds received due to enhanced Medicaid rates implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. State lawmakers also voted to increase a fee assessed on some hospitals to cover expansion costs in the long term.

Thompson said he expects the annual cost of Medicaid expansion will rise in future years, partly due to the rising costs of medicine and medical treatment.

Getting a year into the program will help lawmakers get a baseline for future costs, he said.

To apply for Medicaid, go to MySoonercare.org or call the SoonerCare Helpline at 800-987-7767.

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