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Bill Would Make 43,000 Oklahomans Ineligible For Medicaid

Flickr / texasbackroads

A bill that would save Oklahoma $84 million by changing Medicaid income requirements passed out of the state Senate Monday.

The measure would would change parent and caretaker group income requirements from 41 percent of the federal poverty level to 20 percent, a move that would make more than 43,000 currently covered adults ineligible for Medicaid.

Senator Josh Brecheen (R-Coalgate) is one of the bill's authors. He says the adults who lose coverage under his plan could get health care on a sliding scale from a federally qualified health center.

"And those federally qualified health centers are another opportunity outside of hospitals, where I, based on my income, get a better deal."

Senator Ron Sharp (R-Shawnee) said during discussion that a single parent would have to earn less than $250 dollars a month to qualify for coverage under the bill.

Senator Brecheen said some of the money saved could go toward teacher pay raises.

The bill now heads to the House.

Jackie Fortiér worked for StateImpact Oklahoma from November 2017 to January 2020, reporting on a variety of topics and heading up its health reporting initiative. She has many journalism awards to her name during her years of multi-media reporting in Colorado, and was part of a team recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists with a Sigma Delta Chi award for excellence in breaking news reporting in 2013.
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