State Task Force to Study Why Many Are Uninsured
By Mick Hinton, Tulsa World, Okla.
Jul. 8–OKLAHOMA CITY — House Speaker Chris Benge launched an initiative Monday to assess why Oklahoma leads the country in the number of people lacking health insurance and what can be done about it.
State Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland said leaders want to do everything possible to aid the private sector in obtaining a basic health plan for all Oklahomans.
This would not be socialized medical care, Holland said, but an endeavor to equip the private sector with the means to obtain basic coverage for employees.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report in June showing that about a third of Oklahomans younger than 65 were uninsured.
“We’ve got to be tired of being last on every list involving health,” Holland said.
Applauding Benge, she said, “We need to make health insurance our No. 1 priority.”
Benge, R-Tulsa, said, “This task force will take a comprehensive look at our health care system and the problems fueling growth in the number of uninsured Oklahomans.
“The group’s emphasis will be to find common-sense solutions that empower families, not creating a government-run, single-payer system that simply grows bureaucracy.”
The
state is sponsoring a health plan, “Insure Oklahoma,” that is intended to help small-business owners provide coverage for employees.
Some of the funding that has been set aside has not been claimed by employers who are concerned about possible changes in coverage requirements that they would have to meet.
Benge named seven House members to a special Health Care Reform Task Force and also appointed a 30-member advisory committee to assist lawmakers.
Among the lawmakers appointed was Rep. Doug Cox, the only doctor in the Legislature.
Cox, R-Grove, said: “I’ve seen firsthand how too many people use the emergency room for routine care simply because they don’t have a primary care physician. That drives up the cost of insurance for everyone without increasing benefits for anyone.”
Benge said, “It would be a mistake to spend our time simply expanding benefits for those fortunate enough to already have coverage when so many have no insurance at all.
“We don’t want health care coverage to simply be attractive; it needs to be affordable.”
House Republicans fought a battle last session launched by the parents of children with autism who sought mandated health insurance coverage for the condition.
The task force’s first meeting will be July 24 and will feature Grace-Marie Turner, president of the Galen Institute in Washington, D.C., as well as officials from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.
Benge named five Republicans and two Democrats to the task force.
In addition to Cox, they are: Reps. Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, who will be the co-chairman; Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow; Pam Peterson, R-Tulsa; Lisa Billy, R-Purcell; Wes Hilliard, D-Sulphur; and Ben Sherrer, D-Pryor.
The advisory committee includes consumer advocates, business owners and medical officials from across the state, Benge said. Among the members are Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Phil Lakin, executive director of the Tulsa Community Foundation.
Mick Hinton (405) 528-2465 mick.hinton@tulsaworld.com
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