OKLAHOMA HEALTHCARE: Stitt shuffles Medicaid stance
"I'm not going to say never. I need to learn more about it," Stitt said in response to a question about Medicaid expansion during a meeting with members of the
The governor's comments are strikingly different from those he shared on the campaign trail, where he was firmly against the expansion of Medicaid in
"While Medicaid expansion currently stops at a 90 percent federal match, we cannot assume that it will remain this high forever," he said Monday. "The estimated
Thursday, Stitt clarified that while he's not going to take anything off the table, he does not believe expanding Medicaid is something that needs to be done until he looks at the broader picture.
"As it stands today, no, I'm not going to accept Medicaid money," Stitt said.
Medicaid expansion would provide health insurance to tens of thousands of uninsured adults. Under current
A study shows about one in seven Oklahomans is uninsured, giving
Stitt said he must first have greater control over the
"If we can't oversee that agency that already spends
With the condition of having more oversight over the Healthcare Authority, Stitt left the door open to exploring Medicaid expansion, acknowledging that 38 states have accepted additional Medicaid dollars, where
"We are one of the few states that doesn't," Stitt said. "I think there is a lot of data we can look at on healthcare outcomes and figure out how to move the needle. Also, you have to follow the money. The hospitals definitely want it, because that's a billion dollars more that goes into healthcare. You have people who definitely want it and are pushing for it."
However, Stitt cautioned that while he is open to more federal dollars for healthcare, he is looking out for all Oklahomans, making sure there are no unexpected strings attached to the funding.
"I love the fact that we can get federal dollars. I want to get federal dollars, whether that be for roads and bridges or the healthcare system," Stitt said. "We have to be very careful about what are the mandates and the handcuffs that come with that. When you expand something, you put more people into a system... It is hard to get them off. I want to be, as the governor -- very, very careful about that and at the same time help my rural hospitals and figuring out how to get more dollars there."
The issue of Medicaid expansion has been a point of contention for
"I'm not going to say never. I need to learn more about it," Stitt said Thursday. "But I'm also thinking about what's best for all 4 million Oklahomans and the future of
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