New Medicaid Policy Could Cost Taxpayers More Money, Report Finds

Thursday, June 14th 2018, 7:57 am

By: Grant Hermes

A new study finds Oklahoma's new work requirements for Medicaid will cost taxpayers more money instead of less.

The study was done by the non-partisan Center for Budget and Policy and it comes as Oklahoma is on eve of radically changing health insurance for the poor.

In a press conference Wednesday, the study's authors called Oklahoma's plan to add work requirements to medicaid eligibility "deeply flawed." They said the requirements could push as many as 8-thousand Oklahomans off of health insurance and into emergency rooms, which means taxpayers would foot the bill.

Back in March Governor Mary Fallin signed an executive order telling the state Health Care Authority to add 20-hour per week work requirements to Medicaid eligibility by the fall. At the time she said it would net "huge savings."

Medicaid is the state's largest insurance provider. One in five Oklahomans, including close to 530,000 children need the government run insurance coverage.

States need federal approval to impose work requirements. So far Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas have been given the go-ahead from the Trump administration.