Americans for Prosperity - Oklahoma

State officials reached a budget agreement today to fill the $1.3 billion budget hole, without expanding Medicaid under Obamacare and without hiking tax rates - a win for taxpayers.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://americansforprosperity.org/afp-oklahoma-reacts-state-budget-announcement/

Did you know about the lawsuit going on right now, where insurance companies are trying to reinstate one of their ObamaCare payoffs? The deal was blocked by the Republican Congress. Read "ObamaCare: A Crony Capitalist's Best Friend" below.

ObamaCare: A Crony Capitalist's Best Friend

Marco Rubio, U.S. senator from Florida, writes that Congress blocked ObamaCare's bailout of insurers—who are now suing to reinstate the sweetheart deal.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.wsj.com/articles/obamacare-a-crony-capitalists-best-friend-1464131641

REALITY CHECK: From the state budget agreement just released, here are some numbers. Percentages compare to the current (fiscal 2016 revised) budget. Oklahoma Health Care Authority - 9.24%!i(MISSING)ncrease Dept. of Mental Health & Substance Abuse - 2.18%!i(MISSING)ncrease Dept. of Human Services - 2.57%!i(MISSING)ncrease Dept. of Education - 0.62%!i(MISSING)ncrease Yes, there are plenty of cuts, including to obvious lower priorities like the State Arts Council, OETA, and the Dept. of Tourism.

2017 Fiscal Year Budget Agreement

OKLAHOMA CITY - Governor Mary Fallin, Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman and House Speaker Jeffrey W. Hickman today reached a 2017 fiscal year budget agreement that maintains common education funding at current levels, averts closures of hospitals and nursing homes and closes $969.3 million…

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.ok.gov/triton/modules/newsroom/newsroom_article.php?id=223&article_id=21907

This is about giving a raise to teachers, but it highlights all the waste in state spending that can also be shifted to other high priorities like health care for those who are truly in need.

Updated plan for Oklahoma teacher pay raise with no tax increases

We released a new, updated plan featuring $753 million in options for providing the $245 million necessary to give every Oklahoma public school classroom teacher a $5,000 pay raise.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.ocpaimpact.com/ocpa-impact-offers-updated-plan-for-oklahoma-teacher-pay-raise-with-no-tax-increases

There was NEVER going to be a 25%!c(MISSING)ut. That was made up by OHCA bureaucrats to scare people. From the Oklahoman: "State Rep. Earl Sears said budget writers should be able to protect public education and health care services. 'We want to keep funding for core government services as flat as possible,' he said. ... "The Oklahoma Health Care Authority has warned of Medicaid provider cuts of as much as 25 percent, but House Speaker Jeff Hickman said such talk was premature and such reductio

Oklahoma House leaders say much of budget hole filled

MAY 20, 2016 - Oklahoma House leaders say most of the $1.3 billion hole in the new fiscal year budget will be closed without the need for any tax increases. Rep. Earl Sears said the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 still will lack about $200 million in revenue that was available this year...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://newsok.com/oklahoma-house-leaders-say-much-of-budget-hole-is-plugged-without-tax-increase/article/5499305

"[E]xpansion would make as many as 628,000 able-bodied adults newly eligible for Medicaid. And ... experiences of other expansion states suggests enrollment – and ultimately costs – will soar far higher."

Oklahoma Obamacare Medicaid Plan Puts Needy At Risk

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) has proposed a plan to "rebalance" Medicaid eligibility. Although the "plan" so far consists of only a single page of bullet points, what little that is already known makes clear that the plan would gut the existing capped Insure Oklahoma program and replace...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2016/05/23/its-not-ok-oklahoma-obamacare-medicaid-plan-puts-needy-at-risk/#779b8e5d3916

"Financial help for providers should be targeted to those in communities that truly need it.... The state, through its Medicaid authority, could [focus help on rural hospitals]. Meanwhile, large hospitals would have to settle for less artwork, lower cash balances, and fewer new additions."

Medicaid Expansion: Bad Policy by Any Name

"Medicaid Expansion: Bad Policy by Any Name" by Byron Schlomach critiques a plan put forth by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority that effectively expands Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.1889institute.org/health-care.html

Here is a list of recommendations to protect Oklahoma’s health care without expanding Medicaid. Lots of good ideas here. Some of these seem really obvious.

Statement on Cigarette Tax and Medicaid Expansion

There are clearly better options available for stabilizing Medicaid provider rates, as well as providing a $5,000 across-the-board salary increase for Oklahoma classroom teachers, without raising taxes on Oklahoma families. At a time when...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.ocpathink.org/medicaid-statement

“We should be disgusted by the Republicans who, on one side of their mouth, vent outrage over the federal bathroom tyranny and, on the other side, demand that we pocket the federal health care bribes that will result in destructive mandates these pseudo-leaders will be sure to someday bemoan.”

Right Thinking: Federal cash buys state compliance

Many people don't know that the Constitution prohibits the federal government from forcing states to implement federal policy. But it does allow Washington to purchase state compliance.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://journalrecord.com/2016/05/18/right-thinking-federal-cash-buys-state-compliance-opinion/#ixzz497ty8nRO

Is it just weird anymore to think politicians should keep their word? What do you think Governor Mary Fallin?

Uhhhhhh….. | The McCarville Report



from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://mccarvillereport.com/archives/39162

So do Oklahoma politicians really want more? These are the kind of strings attached to accepting more federal funds--on top of adding to the national debt.

Obama tells hospitals: Do abortions and 'sex changes' or you'll lose federal funding

The new HHS rule 'concocts out of thin air a redefinition of sex discrimination,' say critics.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/obama-tells-hospitals-do-abortions-and-sex-changes-or-youll-lose-federal-fu

"Despite astronomical overall spending, Medicaid pays the doctors and hospitals actually providing the care only 60 cents for each dollar of healthcare costs they incur. As a result, the poor on Medicaid face grave difficulties in obtaining timely and essential health care, suffering worse health outcomes as a result. Contrary to rhetoric from supporters, Medicaid is far from compassionate."

Medicaid Reform Offers More Compassionate Options for the Poor | Heartlander Magazine

Financing for Medicaid, the national entitlement program providing health care for the poor, is shared with the states under a specific formula, with the federal government paying about 60 percent of the total costs. Under President Barack Obama, provided with a rocket boost from Obamacare, spending...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2014/10/17/medicaid-reform-offers-more-compassionate-options-poor?quicktabs_4=1

"Waivers are viewed as a means for states to obtain more federal funds by expanding Medicaid, yet still maintain flexibility over operating their Medicaid programs. Because Medicaid waivers are temporary, they are subject to the discretion of federal officials and vulnerable to potential judicial reversal. They are thus unlikely to permit much of the flexibility state policymakers seek. By contrast, Medicaid expansion likely will be difficult to reverse."

Obamacare Waivers Are Temporary, Medicaid Expansion Is Forever

In this document produced by both the Machinac Center, and the Buckeye Institute, the authors argue that state lawmakers in Michigan, Ohio and numerous other states continue to debate whether to opt–in to an expansion of Medicaid permitted by the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as "Obamacare."…

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.heartland.org/policy-documents/medicaid-waivers-are-temporary-expansion-forever

"Although OHCA frequently promised ... high federal matching rates, the federal share of Medicaid costs has declined by more than 10 percentage points over the last 20 years. Every percentage point drop in federal support means another $50 million in extra costs to state taxpayers."

Oklahoma Should Continue to Reject Obamacare, Pursue Reforms

If policymakers wish to increase reimbursement rates or shift higher-income enrollees out of Medicaid, they can do so without expanding Obamacare. In fact, expanding Medicaid under Obamacare will make any other Medicaid reforms even harder.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.ocpathink.org/medicaid#sthash.tImaSqZ0.dpuf

Good info and advice from Rep. Mark Lepak of Claremore: "[T]he Medicaid Rebalancing Plan is not required to fund existing Medicaid programs such that provider rate cuts are avoided. The same is true of the proposed cigarette tax. The House budget plan prioritizes and funds Medicaid such that provider reimbursement rate cuts are not required. "I’ve confirmed that point on five different occasions within various budget meetings. The rebalancing plan and cigarette taxes are easily confused with t

House Review: Medicaid: A Balancing Act — Part 2

Greetings from the state capitol! The "Medicaid Rebalancing" plan proposes to move 175,000 people from Soonercare (Oklahoma's Medicaid plan) onto Insure Oklahoma, or the federal exchange, and to open up

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.claremoreprogress.com/opinion/house-review-medicaid-a-balancing-act-part/article_7265f126-1c3e-11e6-80af-ffe960798b43.html

Sooner Politics

Primary elections are set for just 5 weeks from now. Republicans will be watching their elected officials and several groups will be publishing the results of this session. Some lawmakers may have a difficult time explaining some net tax increases.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.soonerpolitics.org/5/post/2016/05/will-there-be-one-republican-legislator-faithful-to-his-tax-pledge-after-this-session.html

This author points out that OHCA is purposely scaring elderly and disabled people as a political tactic to get their way. It would take at most $10 million to make sure Oklahoma nursing homes stay open--pocket change to the state legislature (half the cost of OU's Italian villa...). Nursing homes are not going to close. OHCA is using fear as a political weapon.

Free Market Friday: Out of balance

Internal OHCA data reveals that a mere $10 million – at most – is needed to maintain provider rates for nursing homes to be sure vulnerable elderly Oklahomans are not displaced. So the OHCA and proponents are merely using the elderly....

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.ocpathink.org/post/free-market-friday-out-of-balance

Here is another great post by the Surgery Center of Oklahoma talking about what state lawmakers should (and should not) do to encourage price transparency ... which means competition, which means lower costs ... in health care. Oklahoma needs to learn from what works, not just blindly beg for federal dollars, adding to our national debt and limits our power to innovate.

Surgery Center of Oklahoma

Mandating price transparency will afford legislators the opportunity to sell exemptions and will lead to a new definition of transparency - one which fits the needs of the corporate healthcare crowd.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://surgerycenterok.com/blog/should-we-mandate-price-transparency/

It's really important to know that House Bill 3210, which is being talked about as if it is just a simple tax hike on cigarettes, includes language for the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. HB 3210 is a Trojan Horse.

It's really important to know that House Bill 3210, which is being talked about as if it is just a simple tax hike on cigarettes, includes language for the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. HB 3210 is a Trojan Horse.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.facebook.com/1620989761559441/posts/1632248200433597

While other states are trying to be more competitive and to grow their economies...

Oklahoma Looks To Become Next State To Enact Obamacare Medicaid Expansion

By seeking to raise taxes and expand Medicaid, Gov. Mary Fallin (R) and Oklahoma lawmakers are pushing to make their state an outlier in a region full of states reducing their tax burdens, rejecting Obamacare, and exercising spending restraint. Gov. Mary Fallin began the 2016 legislative session by…

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickgleason/2016/05/16/oklahoma-medicaid-expansion/#511735fb5fdd

OCPA Impact, Inc.

Instead of reining in state spending, lawmakers at the OK Capitol are looking at numerous tax increases to fill the $1.3B budget hole. Click the link to send a message to YOUR OK state legislators & Gov. Fallin, asking them to oppose all tax increases! http://www.ocpaimpact.com/action-alert?id=ODc=

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.facebook.com/OCPAImpact/posts/796379020463845

Yes, there are plenty of ways to save money in health care and drive up quality at the same time. And Oklahoma has one of the very best examples of how to do this.

Surgery Center of Oklahoma

Industry insiders have told me the only thing more remarkable than our transparent prices is that they're bundled. Here's how we do it:

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://surgerycenterok.com/blog/this-is-how-bundled-prices-are-set/

Tomorrow--we need you! If you can't be there, please call and email both your state House and Senate members today and share your thoughts with them. Thank you!

Tomorrow--we need you! If you can't be there, please call and email both your state House and Senate members today and share your thoughts with them. Thank you!

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.facebook.com/events/857545181018252/

"The 175,000 targeted by OHCA are able-bodied adults. The proposal would increase from 27 percent to 33 percent the number of Oklahomans dependent on health care entitlements in addition to Medicare.... "Oklahoma rejected the Obamacare exchange grant, saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars in state-based exchange cost overruns being experienced by other states. Now we're being urged to accept funds from the federal government along with their requirements to run a health care program,

Coburn, Parman: Medicaid 'rebalancing' plan is Obamacare by another name

MAY 15, 2016 - The Oklahoma Health Care Authority's Medicaid "rebalancing" plan is being considered by lawmakers. The plan is simply Obamacare Medicaid expansion rebranded. As conservatives concerned about fiscal responsibility, we urge lawmakers to reject it. The rebalancing scheme is a policy that...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://newsok.com/article/5497984

"The Medicaid Rebalancing Act faces several hurdles, including federal approval for the expansion and a three-fourths vote for the tobacco tax increase, but it is important to recognize the real problems expansion create. Medicaid expansion should be opposed whenever it is considered—and under any form."

Matthew Glans: Oklahoma Medicaid 'rebalancing' is simply Medicaid expansion

Medicaid expansion is an expensive endeavor that many critics believe does not provide better or more affordable health care. Many of the expansion plans that states are now considering use federal dollars to expand their Medicaid programs to a larger portion of their state, creating new costs the f...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/othervoices/matthew-glans-oklahoma-medicaid-rebalancing-is-simply-medicaid-expansion/article_6f5008a9-a713-5211-88ee-5d15dc099feb.html

Good for KFOR-TV to acknowledge that "Medicaid Rebalancing" is an expansion of Obamacare: "Despite bitter resistance in Oklahoma for years to President Barack Obama’s health overhaul, many Republican leaders are now embracing a plan to expand Medicaid...." And, of course, bad for those "Republicans" with no principles.

In surprising turnabout, Oklahoma eyes Medicaid expansion

OKLAHOMA CITY – Despite bitter resistance in Oklahoma for years to President Barack Obama's health overhaul, many Republican leaders are now embracing a plan to expand Medicaid as they …

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://kfor.com/2016/05/16/in-surprising-turnabout-oklahoma-eyes-medicaid-expansion/

From Governor Mary Fallin's State of the State Address in 2014: "Expanding Medicaid, as President Obama has proposed, does not solve this problem. In fact, it makes it worse. The cost of Medicaid growth and expansion is astronomical.... We cannot plunge this nation further into debt, or place Oklahoma on a fiscally unsound path, by expanding Medicaid. Both the president’s plan and alternative proposals that rely on federal dollars in the Affordable Care Act amount to the same thing: a dramatic

www.ok.gov



from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.ok.gov/governor/documents/2-3-14%20State%!o(MISSING)f%!t(MISSING)he%!S(MISSING)tate%!p(MISSING)ress%!c(MISSING)opy%!f(MISSING)inal.pdf

Oh no, it's a crisis! Wait, actually it's the predicted result of the status quo and of Oklahoma policymakers dramatically expanding Medicaid enrollment even as voters rejected Obamacare's Medicaid expansion.

Years of Warnings Unheeded on Medicaid

The unsustainable path of Medicaid is no surprise. Whatever policymakers do, they should not adopt a plan like the "Rebalancing Act" that is simply more of the same, with higher costs and greater reliance on promises of federal funds.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.ocpathink.org/post/years-of-warnings-unheeded-on-medicaid

Photo

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.facebook.com/SOJ51News/photos/a.1587219718269573.1073741828.1564912917166920/1628833977441480/?type=3

Video - Governor Mary Fallin explains how proud she is that Oklahoma has stood up against Obamacare. Here's hoping she'll continue to stand up against it in all its forms!

Governor Mary Fallin explains how proud she is that Oklahoma has stood up against Obamacare. Here's hoping she'll continue to stand up against it in all its forms!

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://video.foxnews.com/v/2790397498001/reaction-to-obamas-jabs-at-gop-governors/#sp=show-clips

Increasing dependency on government is disastrous for all concerned and, ultimately, unsustainable. In the most "generous" states (it's never really generous to take stuff from people, even if you give it to someone else you think needs it more), there are still interest groups and ideological groups that demand more spending and higher taxes. Even in the Northern European countries, some people say government isn't big enough.

Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Listen to Mary Mayehw, Maine's Commissioner of Health and Human Services, explain why Medicaid expansion was bad for Maine.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.ocpathink.org/post/perils-of-medicaid-expansion-explained-by-state-official

7 Questions for legislators about "Rebalancing"

7 Questions about 'Medicaid Rebalancing'

Oklahoma pays the seventh highest Medicaid reimbursement rates of any state for primary care and the tenth highest overall. Medical companies want to protect their revenue. Legislators, on the other hand, should not blindly accept self-interested...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.ocpathink.org/post/7-questions-about-medicaid-rebalancing

Our dental reimbursement rates for Medicaid patients are pretty good, too. Better than Kansas and Colorado and way better than Oregon or California. (Some of this is because of our lower cost of living--these are percentages based on average private-sector costs. One more reason to be glad to live in Oklahoma!) See page 7.

American Dental Association Report: State-by-State Analysis of Medicaid Fee-for-Service



from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.aapd.org/assets/1/7/PolicyCenter-TenYearAnalysisOct2014.pdf

How much do Oklahoma taxpayers pay doctors for Medicaid patients? Hint: We pay more than Texas, more than California, more than the national average. Table A2 in the report linked below has the data. It's wonky, but, hey, isn't this the sort of think our legislators ought to know, or at least figure out, before they fall for a bunch of special interest whining?

Reversing the Medicaid Fee Bump: How Much Could Medicaid Physician Fees for Primary Care Fall in...

Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid fees for primary care services were increased to Medicare levels from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2014. This paper uses data from the Urban Institute

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.urban.org/research/publication/reversing-medicaid-fee-bump-how-much-could-medicaid-physician-fees-primary-care-fall-2015

And meanwhile, in Louisiana, even the hospital companies demanding more taxpayer dollars and more dependency are pointing out that the politicians' cost predictions are, well, optimistic.

Hospitals question Gov. John Bel Edwards' Medicaid expansion savings projections

University Medical Center and Lafayette General say the savings aren't conservative enough. Edwards administration officials disagree, but If they're wrong, the hospitals could face another round of mid-year budget cuts.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/04/hospitals_savings_medicaid_edw.html

Actual costs? Double what the politicians promised: "The governor predicted that adding working-age adults with no kids and no disabilities to the Medicaid rolls under the 2010 federal health law would cost $14 billion from 2014-20. Actual spending puts Kasich’s Obamacare expansion on track to cost $28.5 billion by 2020." http://watchdog.org/262659/ohio-medicaid-expansion-costs-top-7-5-billion/

Ohio Medicaid expansion costs top $7.5 billion - Watchdog.org

Ohio Medicaid expansion costs sailed farther past Gov. John Kasich's projections in March, as total spending on the program crested the $7.5 billion mark.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://watchdog.org/262659/ohio-medicaid-expansion-costs-top-7-5-billion/

Photo - It's even worse than this, since Oklahoma legislators would have to pass the bill to see what both OHCA and the Obama Administration do with it. The legislature, if they pass "Rebalancing," would be handing our state's power to the Obama Administration in exchange for promises of "free" federal money. Sick and cynical.

It's even worse than this, since Oklahoma legislators would have to pass the bill to see what both OHCA and the Obama Administration do with it. The legislature, if they pass "Rebalancing," would be handing our state's power to the Obama Administration in exchange for promises of "free" federal money. Sick and cynical.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.facebook.com/ocpathink/photos/a.383213724445.162256.65364914445/10154251148219446/?type=3

No, Obamacare has not reduced emergency room visits. And anyone paying attention six years ago knew it was unlikely to do so after the results of the study of Oregon's earlier Medicaid expansion showed no meaningful decline in emergency room use (or improvement in most health outcomes--"coverage" isn't care). Will Oklahoma politicians pay attention to these facts and to the voters, or will they side with a few big medical companies and Obama who are pushing "Medicaid Rebalancing" as the latest w

Obamacare hasn't reduced emergency room visits

When President Barack Obama was selling his signature health care overhaul before it was adopted in 2010, he said, "If everybody's got coverage, then they're not going to the emergency room for treatment."

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.decaturdaily.com/news/obamacare-hasn-t-reduced-emergency-room-visits/article_95d9deee-a07b-5be8-a856-78438391bcd7.html

Did you know, Scott Walker expanded Wisconsin's Badger Care program without accepting Obamacare money? By doing that, he maintained the state's ability to be flexible with the program and refused to add to the federal debt.

Scott Walker refused federal dollars in exchange for maintaining state control over health policies

With its new two-year budget in place, Wisconsin now has passed up more than $550 million in federal money available under the Affordable Care Act.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/tns-wisconsin-obamacare-scott-walker.html

Another way to tell lawmakers to stand strong against the latest version of Obamacare in Oklahoma--click on the link below and please share!

Oklahoma Considering Obamacare Medicaid Expansion

Your lawmakers at the Oklahoma Capitol are hearing from vested interests to adopt Medicaid expansion. Tell them to instead focus on right-sizing state government and increasing teacher salaries without increasing taxes. They need to hear from YOU.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.ocpaimpact.com/action-alert?id=ODY%!D(MISSING)

Here is a great article from New Hampshire busting some of the myths of Obamacare Medicaid expansion. "New Hampshire’s latest Medicaid expansion law increases the state’s dependence on Washington, D.C., spends money the country doesn’t have and which never belonged to New Hampshire, and does not truly require able-bodied recipients to work."

Another View -- Michael Hamilton: Myth-busting New Hampshire's Medicaid expansion | New Hampshire

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan signed into law on April 5 House Bill 1696 to modify and renew through 2018 the state's Medicaid expansion program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which state lawmakers first adopted in 2014.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.unionleader.com/Another-View-Michael-Hamilton-Myth-busting-New-Hampshires-Medicaid-expansion#sthash.bSVGPKow.dpuf

This is from a source that generally supports bigger government and more dependency--and even they admit that Medicaid expansion is driving up state and federal spending at unprecedented rates!

Medicaid Spending Soars — Mostly In Expansion States

New report finds the annual increase in Medicaid spending is the largest in at least two decades, spurred by the federal health law expansion.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://khn.org/news/medicaid-spending-soars-mostly-in-expansion-states/

More explanation of why the Obamacare expansion being advocated by a few Oklahoma Republicans is a bad deal for the poor and a bad deal for taxpayers. Read the numbers--every Oklahoman should be against this fraudulent "rebalancing" scheme.

Think tank officials: 'Rebalancing' proposal is wrong plan for Oklahoma

MAY 8, 2016 - The Oklahoma Health Care Authority has proposed to "rebalance" our state Medicaid system, supposedly to better serve the poor. Unfortunately, a closer look at the plan reveals that it's just another attempt to backdoor an unaffordable Medicaid expansion. OHCA has provided few specifics...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://m.newsok.com/think-tank-officials-rebalancing-proposal-is-wrong-plan-for-oklahoma/article/5496476

Photo - The math just doesn't add up....

The math just doesn't add up....

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.facebook.com/ocpathink/photos/a.383213724445.162256.65364914445/10154237487259446/?type=3

Very important: Tell your legislators to say "No way" to Obamacare expansion on Oklahoma!

Americans for Prosperity - Oklahoma

OK has said we don't want Medicaid Expansion - now they're trying to trick us by calling it a Rebalancing" Plan

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://action.americansforprosperity.org/rUfCzLb

More big premium increases on the way thanks to Obamacare. Tell Oklahoma politicians not to expand Obamacare in Oklahoma (even if it's cleverly titled "rebalancing")!

Health Insurers Struggle to Offset New Costs

Insurers have begun to propose big premium increases for coverage next year under the 2010 health law, as some struggle to make money in a market where their costs have soared.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.wsj.com/articles/health-insurers-struggle-to-offset-new-costs-1462404298

"The OHCA proposal ['Rebalancing'] is simply a backdoor way to expand Obamacare in Oklahoma, with potential future costs that would keep us in a continuous budget crisis. If your bucket has a hole in it, you don’t poke more holes and just pour more water into it to keep up. You first patch the hole. That is the approach we should take to Medicaid." Another good article in the Enid paper.

Medicaid 'rebalancing' the wrong prescription

The lengthy debate on how Oklahoma should deal with Medicaid has taken a new turn with a proposal to "rebalance" Medicaid by expanding it dramatically, and raising your taxes to

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.enidnews.com/opinion/medicaid-rebalancing-the-wrong-prescription/article_1f13de46-971b-5170-8acc-679f77bab71b.html

"Making a struggling program bigger isn't the same as making it stronger, and expansion could actually amplify state government's financial challenges." Good editorial, worth reading in full at the link below. It's one more reason to say "No way" to the so-called "Medicaid Rebalancing Act" being pushed at the state capitol.

Expansion of Medicaid not a budget cure-all for Oklahoma

APR 4, 2016 - THE news that Oklahoma's Medicaid program may cut provider rates by 25 percent due to the state budget shortfall will undoubtedly lead some critics to insist this would not be happening had Oklahoma expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Yet while the state would have receive...

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://newsok.com/article/5489020

Photo - Here is a great graphic that shows how Medicaid is already eating up a huge share of the Oklahoma budget. The last thing we need is to voluntarily expand Obamacare in our state (which is what the so-called "Medicaid Rebalancing Act" is).

Here is a great graphic that shows how Medicaid is already eating up a huge share of the Oklahoma budget. The last thing we need is to voluntarily expand Obamacare in our state (which is what the so-called "Medicaid Rebalancing Act" is).

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.facebook.com/ocpathink/photos/a.383213724445.162256.65364914445/10154234895064446/?type=3

Schools, roads, everything gets squeezed when states adopt the Obamacare Medicaid expansion (the current Oklahoma proposal is being called "Rebalancing"). Even high-tax states like California are facing budget strain thanks to Obamacare, and the federal government is simply running up the debt.

Growth in State Medicaid Spending Crowding Out Spending on Other Major State Programs | Mercatus

According to recent research, expanding state Medicaid spending is "crowding out" spending on other major state programs, most notably education and transportation infrastructure. This growth in state Medicaid spending, however, does not seem to be increasing state debt burdens.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://mercatus.org/publication/growth-state-medicaid-spending-crowding-out-spending-other-major-state-programs?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=research&utm_campaign=SLPP

Photo

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma https://www.facebook.com/stopObamacareMedicaidExpansion/photos/a.1623930947931989.1073741828.1620989761559441/1623930964598654/?type=3

Hospitals hurting? Not so fast....

Not-for-profits dominate top-10 list of hospitals with highest margins

Seven of the 10 hospitals in the U.S. with the highest margins from patient care services in 2013 were not-for-profits, according to a new study in Health Affairs based on Medicare cost reports.

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20160502/NEWS/160509991?utm_source=modernhealthcare&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20160502-NEWS-160509991&utm_campaign=dose

The Obamacare Medicaid shuffle (pushing states to expand the program in exchange for state politicians accepting federal dollars, adding to the federal debt and tricking some citizens into believing in "free" money) has come back to Oklahoma. It's called "Medicaid Rebalancing," but it's the same old game of bigger government, more debt, and more dependence.

Medicaid Not Big Enough? Administration Proposes $100 Billion More Spending | Mercatus

Despite substantial and growing federal deficits, largely driven by unsustainable healthcare commitments, the Obama Administration is proposing more than $100 billion in new Medicaid spending over the next decade. No major area of federal spending has increased more dramatically since President Bara…

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://mercatus.org/expert_commentary/medicaid-not-big-enough-administration-proposes-100-billion-more-spending

Beating up on Obamacare sure was popular on the campaign trail--most Oklahomans oppose Obamacare as a massive federal power grab. And they're right. But politicians should stick to their campaign promises and continue to oppose Obamacare's Medicaid expansion in all its forms once in office.

Candidate fundraising email

Dear Friends,This Sunday, President Obama's political machine is coming to Oklahoma to support expanding Obamacare in our state. MoveOn.org, a group funded by liberal billionaire George Soros that took out a full page ad in the New York Times…

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://maryfallin.org/email/email-new-site-responsive.php?ID=323

The long-term trends in Medicaid costs? Not good. And worse if Oklahoma expands Medicaid.

Long-Term Trends in Medicaid Spending by the States | Mercatus

Since 2011, state spending on Medicaid has grown rapidly as enrollment increases and healthcare costs escalate. Growing enrollment, even prior to enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), has precipitated increasing program costs, while the end of temporary increases in fede…

from FB-RSS feed for Stop Obamacare Expansion in Oklahoma http://mercatus.org/publication/long-term-trends-medicaid-spending-states