A Senate Review by Senator Al McAffrey

Oklahoma got some great news last week when the Governor announced that the federal government had agreed to extend its funding for Insure Oklahoma for one more year. Earlier this year, the federal government had said that they were no longer going to provide funding for this integral health care program and the state’s Employer-Sponsored Insurance (ESI) program was going to be cutoff on December 31st.

As I mentioned before, the feds were cutting off the funding because our state refuses to enact the federal Affordable Healthcare Act.

This great program provides healthcare to nearly 35,000 low-income working Oklahomans and their families.

Again, how the program works is that premium costs are shared by the state (60 percent), the employer (25 percent) and the employee (15 percent). There’s also an Individual Plan (IP), which allows people who can’t access the benefits through their employer, including those who are self-employed or may be temporarily unemployed, to buy health insurance directly through the state.

I’m so pleased that Insure Oklahoma will be around for another year. I applaud the Governor and the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority for working with the federal government to find a temporary compromise that doesn’t put our citizens’ health in jeopardy. Hopefully, during session, we can figure out a long-term plan or our legislative leaders will give up their fight against the federal Affordable Healthcare Act and accept the program that was approved by our Congress and President.

The new national health care system will go into effect on October 1st. This extension shows that the federal government is willing to work with the states as long as our state government is willing to communicate with them.

It’s funny how history repeats itself. The current situation of certain states fighting against the federal health care system reminds me of when President Lyndon B. Johnson passed Medicare and how many were against that program. However, once the program got rolling people realized how beneficial it could be. Today, Medicare recipients praise the program and would protest if the government ever suggested getting rid of it. Let’s learn from that history lesson and work together to ensure that everyone has access to health care so we can improve the health of our state.

If you have any questions or comments, I can be reached by email at mcaffrey@oksenate.gov or by phone at (405) 521-5610. You can also write me: Senator Al McAffrey, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 527A, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105.

September 13, 2013