State officials finish counting Medicaid expansion signatures

Nov. 22--State officials have completed their review of 313,677 signatures turned in to put the question of Medicaid expansion to a statewide vote next year.

The secretary of state's office counted 299,731 signatures, leaving the Medicaid expansion campaign more than enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Supporters of Medicaid expansion had to turn in nearly 178,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. The Yes on 802 campaign turned in a record number of signatures.

The secretary of state's office struck some signature petitions because they either lacked necessary circulator information or were not notarized. Representatives from the office finished counting the signatures on Nov. 15, according to documents submitted to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

The update from the secretary of state's office means State Question 802, which would ask voters to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income Oklahomans, is one step closer to making it on the ballot sometime in 2020.

Now, it's up to the state's high court to issue an order stating whether the number of certified signatures is sufficient to put the Medicaid expansion question on the ballot. If so, it will trigger a brief window in which opponents of the state question can challenge the validity of the signature petitions.

Attorney General Mike Hunter's office also has submitted a proposed rewrite of the ballot title, or an explanation of the state question that voters would see at the polls.

A ballot title can be no more than 200 words, must use basic language and cannot contain any argument for or against the measure.

The original, two-sentence ballot title notes that voting for the state question would add an article to Oklahoma's Constitution to expand Medicaid coverage to adults between ages 18 and 65 whose income does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty level.

The rewrite expands on the ballot title submitted by the Yes on 802 campaign. It defines Medicaid as a "government-sponsored health insurance program for low-income persons."

The revised ballot title says the federal poverty level changes annually, but notes that in 2019, a single adult making less than $17,236 annually or a family of four making less than $35,535 annually would qualify for Medicaid benefits under an expansion.

Hunter's office also proposes describing Medicaid as a program that is jointly funded by the state and federal government. His office also added language saying if the state question passes, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority will have 90 days to submit to the federal government all documents necessary to obtain approval to expand Medicaid by July 1, 2021.

The rewritten ballot title also specifies the state cannot implement any new Medicaid restrictions, like work requirements, to make it harder for those who would be covered by an expansion to qualify for coverage.

If the Yes on 802 campaign is unhappy with the proposed rewrite of the ballot title, it can ask the Oklahoma Supreme Court to rewrite the measure.

If the measure advances, Gov. Kevin Stitt will get to decide when Medicaid expansion comes up for a vote next year.

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