The State House & Senate will meet at noon, today, for a joint session in the larger House Chamber. The keynote speaker will be the Governor of Oklahoma. several legislative agenda items will be unveiled, but the biggest news will be his healthcare rollout. The federal block grant that he claims to have secured for Oklahoma is said to resemble the program that the state of Indiana currently provides it's residents. Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) is currently being sued in Federal court because of a new work requirement it imposes on enrollees.
The plan has a token enrollment premium and no pre-existing conditions or annual deductible. But a new requirement to work 20 hours per week (at gainful employment) has some saying that the federal rules were violated, and jeopardizes the federal grant. Utah has a plan, using a similar block grant funding, but the end product of the legislature resulted in the federal govt. rejecting the format and refusing to fund it... leaving Utah's lower income residents without a way to get medical emergencies paid for. There are three entities who have to come together for this strategy to be viable. The Governor, the legislature, and the Federal Health & Human Services leadership. |
|
|
Lawmaker NewsA study of legislation being pondered at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Archives
January 2022
CategoriesHow a law is made.. |