192,000 Oklahomans Get Health Insurance Through Affordable Care Act

Monday, January 9th 2017, 5:48 pm

By: Dana Hertneky

Congress is moving full speed ahead to try and repeal Obamacare before President-elect Donald Trump is even inaugurated. This as Trump says he'll have more details about his plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, about 192,000 Oklahomans get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and more than 80% receive federal subsidies to help pay their premiums.

Good Shepard Ministries provides free healthcare to those who can’t afford it, but relies solely on donations to operate. Executive Director Pam Timmons says a repeal of Obamacare could mean more patients for them.

“I think it’s also going to put another increase on our need,” she told News 9 on Monday.

The Oklahoma Hospital Association says if more people were to become uninsured it would likely increase the number of emergency room visits.

Some Republican governors have said they worry about what happens to those who are currently covered by the Affordable Care Act if there is a repeal. But Republicans, like Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole, promise to replace Obamacare "with a patient-centered, market-driven alternative" although he says a specific alternative is still being worked out.