Your action needed on funding crisis, call for special session

Posted on: 8/16/17

In light of the State Supreme Court’s ruling last week that the Cigarette Fee is unconstitutional, OHA is calling on lawmakers to go into special session and address the funding crisis now.

Including the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, and the Department of Human Services, Oklahoma agencies stand to lose a combined $519 million with the federal matching funds as a result of the Supreme Court ruling. This will likely result in at least an 8 percent provider rate cut, on top of 18 percent in unrestored cuts since 2010.

Your immediate action is needed. Please call or email your state legislators this week and ask them to support a special session and resolve the funding crisis quickly. You can do this easily by using the OHA Voter Voice tool at www.okoha.com/votervoice. It is vital your legislator hear from you about the effects on your hospital and your patients if lawmakers do not address the need for revenue for the health agencies (Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, and DHS) through a special session.

OHA’s position is for ALL lawmakers to work together and responsibly to address the revenue issues immediately. To view the OHA’s statement to the media following the Supreme Court ruling, click here. OHA supports passage of a $1.50 increase per pack cigarette tax. Raising the cigarette tax has widespread public support, with 74 percent of voters supporting increasing the tobacco tax to fund health care. For more information on the cigarette tax, click here.