State legislative session progresses

Posted on: 3/26/21

The Senate began hearing bills sent over from the House this week, while House committees did not meet. One bill we have been closely following, and now in the Senate, is HB 2504 by Rep. Chris Kannady and Sen. Paul Rosino. This measure seeks to give the state commissioner of health unprecedented influence over the city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Working within a broad coalition, our member hospital lobbyists and several CEOs reached out to members of the Senate General Government committee, where Sen. Rosino is chair and his bill was assigned. As of the beginning of this week, we were told the bill would be heard on Thursday afternoon, but it was not heard in committee due to our collective efforts. The bill was double-assigned to Senate Appropriations, so we will maintain vigilance until the next legislative deadline, April 8, when House measures must pass out of Senate committees. 

HB 1091 by Rep. Carol Bush and HB 2299 by Rep. Dustin Roberts and Sen. John Montgomery, two anti-MCO bills, have been received in the Senate and assigned to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. They must be heard and passed out of the subcommittee, and the full appropriations committee, by April 8. We are in continual conversations with the authors of these bills and will keep you apprised of their progress. 

With the House not holding committee hearings this week, it leaves two weeks for committee work left until the April 8 deadline, so expect the managed care conversation to intensify quickly. Please continue to have conversations and utilize the resources available to you on OHA’s website with your representatives and senators. They must hear from you directly and understand the ramifications of this reckless proposal that will do nothing to stabilize the budget nor improve health outcomes for Oklahomans. (Scott Tohlen)