Governor Kevin Stitt wanted to use a managed care approach to handle Oklahoma's Medicaid program, SoonerCare, with expansion of Medicaid mandated by a vote
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Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider, your weekly look inside Oklahoma politics, policy and government. I m Dick Pryor with eCapitol news director, Shawn Ashley. So far, this legislative session has been highlighted by several bills that may have important implications but have received attention in large part because of their political shock value. There s been a lot of posturing on social issues, but these kinds of bills often generate more heat than light and wind up not becoming law. So rather than give more oxygen to those bills, today let s talk about some substantive legislation that may not be getting attention but could affect a lot of people. Shawn, first, an update is in the works for the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program.
Oklahoma Healthcare Authority Votes To Privatize SoonerCare
SoonerCare will be going private following a 6-3 vote by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority on Tuesday.
Medicaid is the state s second-largest expense behind education, costing around a billion dollars, adding in federal money, it is a $7 billion agency. Now, much of their work will be outsourced to a private company all without a vote from lawmakers.
Oklahoma Representative Marcus McEntire said, My legitimate prayer is that you and the governor will come to the house that you will work with us or not try to cram those down our throat.
Currently, The state healthcare authority has received seven bids to help manage SoonerCare.
Pelosi Seeks Fines for Security Rule Violators: Inaugural Update Bloomberg 1/14/2021 Bloomberg News
(Bloomberg) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is seeking to impose fines of as much as $10,000 for representatives who violate new security screening rules. Oklahoma lawmakers and their staffs are being told to stay away from the state capitol building in Oklahoma City over potential protests. Washington is temporarily shutting some subway stations near the Capitol to deter travel while security is on high alert.
Pelosi Seeks Fines for Security Scanning Violations (8:40 p.m.)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to impose fines on representatives who don’t adhere to new security screening measures put in place after last week’s attack on the Capitol.