Editor’s Note: In our efforts to cover healthcare policy, we’ve included details on the first meeting of the Oklahoma Legislature’s Healthcare Working Group, which was held on Aug. 14 after we went to press.
Lawmakers heard from representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Health and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority today as they begin the process of developing a legislative solution that will improve the state’s healthcare system.
The lawmakers are part of the bi-partisan, bi-cameral Healthcare Working Group created by House of Representatives Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) and Senate President Pro-Tempore Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) to develop an Oklahoma-based solution for increasing access to healthcare and providing insurance coverage for more citizens. The working group held its first meeting August 14 at the Capitol.
State Rep. Marcus McEntire, co-chair of the working group, said his hope is that the working group will first listen to all stakeholders from patients to providers, policy experts, insurance carriers, facilities and state agencies to find solutions to help state residents with their health care and insurance needs.
“The overall goal of this group, and really everyone working on healthcare solutions, is to create a healthy Oklahoma,” said Rep. Marcus McEntire, R-Duncan, co-chair of the working group. “We want to improve the way our citizens access healthcare and the way we deliver healthcare, and we want find a solution that will make it more affordable for our citizens. We have too many Oklahomans who lack insurance, and we have a healthcare system that is struggling to deliver care in rural parts of the state. It is vital that we find a way to provide health insurance and services for low-income and needy Oklahomans, but we need a solution that uniquely fits the needs of Oklahomans and is affordable. This is not going to be a quick or easy fix, so I am very grateful that we have started a collaborative effort that will bring everyone together with a common goal that will move us forward.”
State Sen. Greg McCortney, co-chair of the working group, said he expects the group to set goals to accomplish in the next legislative session and define action steps toward achieving the identified objectives.
“Today’s first meeting was successful and productive,” said Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada, co-chair of the working group. “It also showed us what we all know to be true and that is there’s a lot of work to be done in the arena of improving health care outcomes and increasing access to quality health care in Oklahoma. I’m excited to be cochairing this group alongside Rep. McEntire. We’re committed to hearing from all sides of the equation. Ultimately, our goal is to collect good data and input from all stakeholders that will better inform the working group as we look at policy recommendations for the entire Legislature to consider. There’s lots of work to be done, so let’s get to it!”
One of the hopes expressed by Speaker McCall, President Pro Tem Treat and Gov. Kevin Stitt has been to create a unique healthcare system for Oklahomans that improves care and increases access but does not leave the state paying millions of dollars in costs if the federal government decides to lessen its portion of Medicaid expenses.
The working group will plans to meet weekly. Details of each meeting will be released ahead of time.