President's Message

Posted on: 6/12/26

 

I want to take a moment to provide you with an update on a significant issue that continues to demand our attention post legislative session – the budget at the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.  

Over the past several days, OHA has been made aware of the authority’s budget deficit and is working closely with the agency to better understand their financial situation. In doing so, we’ve had the opportunity to evaluate its proposed budget reductions that will directly impact hospital and physician supplemental payment programs. Based on the agency's current methodology, Oklahoma hospitals and physicians could see more than $345 million in funding reductions beginning July 1.

As you can imagine, cuts of this magnitude would have a significant impact on hospitals across our state and the patients and communities we serve.

To help our members better understand the potential impact, OHA has developed hospital-specific impact reports that are available for download. These reports illustrate the estimated financial impact on each hospital under the current proposal. I encourage every hospital leader, board member, and finance team to review the information carefully and understand what these reductions could mean for your organization and your community.

OHA continues to engage with OHCA in good faith to identify alternatives that could mitigate or avoid these reductions. Among the options we have discussed are revisions to managed care capitation rates, adjustments to the SHOPP methodology, and a review of recent program expansions that have increased Medicaid spending.

What has become clear is that awareness of these proposed cuts is growing. Lawmakers, healthcare stakeholders, and advocacy organizations are beginning to ask important questions about the potential impact on access to care, healthcare jobs, and the financial stability of Oklahoma hospitals.

We also learned this week that the Medical Advisory Committee meeting scheduled to review Medicaid policy issues was canceled. As a result, questions remain regarding the process and timeline for any final decisions.

Please know that OHA is fully engaged on this issue. We will continue advocating for solutions that protect hospitals, physicians, and the patients who depend on us. We are also evaluating all available options as this process moves forward.

Thank you for your leadership, your engagement, and your continued commitment to serving your communities. We will keep you informed as additional information becomes available.
Rich Rasmussen

President & CEO