EDITORIAL: Work ongoing on Medicaid expansion, insurance availability

Oct. 4--Work is ongoing on a couple of fronts with respect to the future of health care in Oklahoma.

On one side, the group Yes on 802 -- Oklahomans Decide Healthcare is working to collect enough signatures to get its Medicaid expansion plan on the 2020 ballot.

Members have until Oct. 28 to collect about 20,000 more signatures to be successful.

The group's effort asks voters to expand Medicaid coverage to nearly 200,000 more low-income Oklahomans and bring billions in federal health care dollars back to the state. Oklahoma lawmakers would have to contribute a share of the Medicaid funding.

Amber England, a spokeswoman for the group, says people in Oklahoma have been supportive, especially in rural areas. Oklahomans say they're struggling to access health care and their local hospitals have closed or are teetering on the brink, she said.

At the state Capitol, a bipartisan working group of lawmakers is working on a legislative plan designed to increase health care and insurance access. The group has met with providers, insurance companies and public health experts.

Gov. Kevin Stitt also is supposed to release his plan for health care later this month.

Either way, it appears most Oklahomans favor some sort of Medicaid expansion. According to a July poll by the nonpartisan organization SoonerPoll, a majority of state voters are behind expansion.

Support was highest among Democrats. Independent voters also favored the plan. Republican support for the proposal was mixed, with 41.6% opposing it and 39.8% supporting it.

Health care professionals also are in favor of Medicaid expansion.

"Every day, hundreds of Oklahomans slip through the cracks when it comes to access to life-saving care because they can't afford health insurance but yet they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid," said Finny Mathew, president of Integris Bass Baptist Health Center. "We believe State Question 802 helps close that gap.

"If Oklahoma follows suit, we are talking about $1 billion being infused into our economy every year. That benefits everyone, and at the same time thousands of additional Oklahomans will have access to affordable health care. There are several rural hospitals in Oklahoma that are just trying to keep their doors open. Expanding Medicaid means bringing dollars back to those communities. Without Medicaid expansion, there is a high likelihood that we will see more rural hospitals close."

It appears something will be done, one way or the other, either by the Legislature when it returns to session in February 2020, or by voters at the ballot box in November 2020.

Stay tuned.

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