Gov. Mary Fallin

Oklahoma's Republican majority has steadfastly opposed Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, with Gov. Mary Fallin rejecting an estimated $3.6 billion in federal funding between 2012 and 2019. That's all changed, and now the state is $1.3 billion in the hole—and rethinking that decision.

A bust in the oil patch has decimated state revenues, compounded by years of income tax cuts and growing corporate subsidies intended to make the state more business-friendly. Oklahoma's Medicaid agency has warned doctors and other health care providers of cuts of up to 25 percent in what the state pays under Medicaid. "We are nearing a colossal collapse of our health care system in Oklahoma," warned Craig Jones, the president of the Oklahoma Hospital Association, which represents more than 135 hospitals and health care systems in the state. "We have doctors turning away patients. We have people with mental illnesses who are going without treatment. Hospitals are closing, and this is only going to get worse this summer if the Legislature does not act immediately to turn this around."

We're not just seeing a turnaround here on thinking about Obamacare, but this: "GOP leaders are considering a tax hike to cover the state's share of the costs." A tax hike ($1.50-per-pack tax on cigarettes)! For health care! That's how dire the situation is in Oklahoma, where hospitals—particularly rural ones—are on the verge of shutting down.