Oklahomans are best served when they feel empowered to make their own health care decisions together with their doctors.

It’s so important to protect the patient/provider relationships - and to never let insurance companies dictate patient care. That’s why we’re here.

Oklahomans Caring for Oklahomans is a group of health care providers and advocates dedicated to preserving the vital relationship between provider and patient, and protecting Medicaid Expansion in Oklahoma as the voters intended it.

As of Aug. 1, 2021, more than 154,000 Oklahomans have been approved for benefits through SoonerCare, Oklahoma’s Medicaid program.

Find out if you’re eligible for health care coverage through SoonerCare.

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How We Got Here

Oklahoma voters approved Medicaid Expansion in June 2020, with the program taking effect on July 1, 2021.

In Oklahoma, Medicaid Expansion is expected to yield better results for patients and positively impact our state’s national health rankings, by:

Providing access to health care to more than 200,000 Oklahomans who were previously ineligible for the program and who had no other access to health insurance

Bringing Oklahoma taxpayer dollars back to Oklahoma to fund health care for Oklahomans, create jobs and boost our state’s economy

Help keep rural hospitals, doctors, counselors and dental offices open, so all Oklahomans can have local access to physical and mental health care

But that’s not where the story ends. In late 2020, before Medicaid Expansion could be implemented, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority announced a plan to outsource management of Oklahoma’s Medicaid system.

In November 2020 and without legislative approval, OHCA awarded more than $2 billion in state funds to four insurance companies: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Centene, Humana and United Healthcare.

Patients and providers fought back. Working with the Legislature to stop what they termed a “Health Care Holdup,” a determined coalition worked to enact guardrails to limit insurance company profits and their efforts to dictate patient care.

Then, in May 2021, the Supreme Court ruled OHCA had overstepped its authority by awarding taxpayer dollars outside of the legislative process, and the managed care plan was shut down. However, proponents of corporate managed care are still working to resurrect the program.

As of Aug. 1, 2021, more than 154,000 Oklahomans have signed up to receive care under the Expanded Medicaid program.

Together, we’re working to uphold the will of the voters and protect health care access and benefits for all Oklahomans.

What’s at Stake

In 2021, IMPLAN, a leader in economic modeling, studied what Oklahomans might expect, should outsourced Medicaid go forward.

Specific projected losses from the Managed Care plan, as modeled by IMPLAN, include:

Loss of more than 2,600 direct hospital jobs

Loss of nearly 5,500 total jobs (each direct hospital job is related to a loss of an additional 1.1 jobs in other industries)

Loss of more than $343 million in wages

Loss of $92 million in tax revenue ($25 million in local, county and state taxes; $67 million in federal taxes)

The study, commissioned by the Oklahoma Hospital Association, is available at https://bit.ly/3egtkQ8.

We Believe

Local providers are our community leaders, friends and neighbors. Oklahomans know and trust them.

Oklahomans should be able to make health care decisions without interference from insurance companies.

Local health care providers want what’s best for their patients. Their health care recommendations are based on quality care and patient health – not insurance company profits.

Insurance managed care puts insurance companies in charge of health care, and all Oklahomans will suffer if it is implemented here.

How We Got Here

We Believe

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