IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Please CALL and EMAIL your State Senator, now! LEAVE MESSAGES! oklegislature.gov/FindMyLegislature.aspx HB 1581, “An Act relating to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority; authorizing and directing the Authority to submit certain waiver; authorizing actions; providing for effect of provisions with respect to federal or other law applicable to federally recognized Native American tribes; providing that act may be null and void under certain circumstance; providing for codification; and declaring an emergency” passed in the Oklahoma Legislature. It is with gladness that we report it passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on March 6 with a vote of 89-0. Now it is in the Oklahoma Senate. Senator Roger Ballenger is the author and Senator Brian Bingman is the coauthor. It has been referred to the Health and Human Services Committee, with Senator Brian Crain as the Chair of that committee. The Health and Human Services Committee is meeting this coming Monday, March 31 (Meeting notice is attached) and as of today HB1581 is not on the Agenda to be heard. The following are the Author of the Bill, the Co-Author/President Pro Tempore, and all Health and Human Services Committee members. We need every tribe and all individuals to call or email (today) the following Senators: Senator Roger Ballenger (D), Author, District 8 covering McIntosh, Muskogee, Okfuskee, and Okmulgee counties: [email protected]; 405-521-5588. Thank him for authoring the bill and ask him to advocate for the bill to be heard in the Health and Human Services Committee meeting. Senator Brian Bingman (R), Coauthor and President Pro Tempore, District 12 covering Creek and Tulsa counties [email protected]; 405-521-5528. Thank him for coauthoring the bill and ask him to advocate for the bill to be heard in the Health and Human Services Committee meeting. Senator Brian Crain (R), Chair of Health and Human Services Committee, District 39 covering Tulsa counties: [email protected], 405-521-5620. Ask him to support the bill and to place the bill on the Health and Human Services Committee Meeting. The following are committee members and ask them to support and to request that the bill be heard in the health and human services committee meeting: Senator Rob Standridge (R), Vice Chair of Health and Human Services Committee, District 15 covering Cleveland and Oklahoma counties: [email protected], 405-521-5535. Senator Harry Coates (R), District 28 covering Lincoln, Pottawatomie, and Seminole counties: [email protected], 405-521-5547 Senator Kim David (R), District 18 covering Cherokee, Mayes, Muskogee, Tulsa, and Wagoner counties: [email protected], 405-521-5590. Senator AJ Griffin (R), District 20 covering Kingfisher, Logan, Noble, and Pawnee counties: [email protected], 405-521-5628. Senator Constance Johnson (D), District 48 covering Oklahoma county, [email protected], 405-521-5531. Senator Dan Newberry (R), District 37 covering Tulsa county, [email protected], 405-521-5600. Senator Jabar Shumate (D), District 11 covering Osage and Tulsa counties, [email protected], 405-521-5598. The important points to discuss are that: · This Bill is not Medicaid Expansion because it doesn’t make any additional persons eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid is an individual benefit that goes with you to any health facility for care. This bill makes available a payment to Indian Health facilities for uncompensated care. · This has nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act, as this CMS authority existed before the Affordable Care Act was law. · The Tribes want to share in the state’s burden and actually shift some of it to the tribes. This population is individuals that currently have no health coverage and are using emergency rooms and urgent care centers for their health care which is costing the state. · Indian Health facilities treat all Oklahomans and therefore this initiative will help all Oklahomans. · The Tribes want to be partners with the state in this initiative which will bring more tribal dollars (about $150 million) into Oklahoma economy to help everyone. · This bill does not cost the state, as all the payments will be at 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, which means it will all come from federal and just pass through the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. House Bill 1581 - Health Care Authority; waiver for Medicaid and Medicare services; providing for effect of provisions with respect to federally recognized Native American tribes; effective date; emergency. oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB1581&Session=1400 Oklahoma Legislature Oklahoma Legislatures Website where you can follow the introduction of bills, committee actions, and votes on the bills. OKLEGISLATURE.GOV|BY [email protected]
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 01:43:51 +0000
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