Davis presents to Tulsa chamber group on ballot initiative

Posted on: 7/12/19

OHA President Patti Davis spoke on SQ 802, the Medicaid expansion initiative petition to the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s OneVoice Health Care Advocacy Task Force on Monday, July 8.  Also speaking was Rep. Marcus McEntire (R- Duncan), who spoke on an Oklahoma Plan, which would be a partial expansion through Insure Oklahoma. Rep. McEntire is the chair of the House Appropriations Sub Committee on Health.

The speakers provided information about the advantages of both approaches and that each would offer health insurance coverage to 200,000 low income, working Oklahomans. Davis focused on the advantages to patients and hospitals by supporting SQ 802, which is “full Medicaid expansion”, as it would be easily accessible to patients, whereas an Oklahoma Plan could present barriers to care and be subject to changes by the Oklahoma Legislature from year to year. Davis pointed out that full expansion through SQ 802 provides opportunities to hospitals to be able to leverage additional federal funds that partial expansion would not, such as 340B, DSH and upper payment limit.