OCPA decries advancement of Senate Medicaid expansion/waiver bill

OCPA statement on Senate Bill 605

After Senate Bill 605 by Greg McCortney (R-Ada) passed the Retirement and Insurance Committee today, Jonathan Small, president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), released the following statement:

“It’s disappointing that Senate Bill 605, which will significantly reduce the incentives for work and create a new medical welfare entitlement program for up to 628,000 able-bodied, working-age adults, passed the Retirement and Insurance Committee today.

“Annually, more than one million Oklahomans are on Medicaid. Oklahoma’s Medicaid population and costs have already exploded. If Senate Bill 605 becomes law, it will expose Oklahoma to potentially $321 million in new, required Oklahoma taxpayer spending annually.

“Just like the federal government did with teaching hospitals, historical Oklahoma FMAP rates, and Insure Oklahoma, it will eventually reduce its responsibility of any expansion and the next liberal president will gut any ‘Oklahoma Plan’ just as the Obama administration gutted Insure Oklahoma and hurled thousands of Oklahomans into the failed Obamacare exchanges.”