OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would privatize Medicaid in a pilot project at a yet-to-be-determined location in the state.
Senate Bill 1495 by Sen. Kim David, R-Wagoner, passed by a vote of 25-21 and heads to the House for consideration. Senate approval requires 25 votes.
The Oklahoma State Medical Association opposes the bill.
Managed care for Medicaid was tried in the 1990s and failed miserably, said Wes Glinsmann, Oklahoma State Medical Association spokesman.
“This isn’t about managed care,” he said. “It is about privatization. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is already one of the most efficient agencies in state government. Their administrative overhead is far less than what you would find with most private insurers and so for there to be any cost saving, it is going to be borne on the back of providers.”
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The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is the state’s Medicaid agency.
Supporters say the voters gave them a mandate to get government out of the health care business.
“One thing is abundantly clear,” said Sen. Rick Brinkley, R-Owasso. “Oklahomans don’t like government managing their health care.”
Supporters believe a pilot project will give policymakers data to make additional decisions. They say the state needs to try something different in light of poor overall health outcomes.
The state’s return on taxpayer dollars “is quite frankly not good enough,” said Sen. A.J. Griffin, R-Guthrie.
An effort by Senate Minority Leader Sean Burrage, D-Claremore, to confine the pilot project to the area represented by David failed. Under questioning, David said the location of the pilot project and which hospitals and providers would be involved has yet to be determined.
“You are saying pass it before we know what is in it,” Burrage said.
The measure must return to the Senate for consideration if it secures House approval, David said.
David said several details are still being worked out.
