Oklahoma Hospitals getting First Payments Under Managed Care
Oklahoma hospitals are getting paid.
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is making the first payments to hospitals under SoonerSelect, the newly implemented managed care version of Medicaid in Oklahoma. In all the Health Care Authority has about $500 million per year to dole out
That’s in addition to the 12-year-old hospital tax that now stands at 4%. That money helps the state get more federal funding, and the two programs together are intended to make up some of the difference between what hospitals collect under Medicaid versus what they get from private insurance, which is substantially more for the same care.
In grossly oversimplified terms, for a hospital to stay afloat, they must make up for losses incurred caring for Medicaid patients by charging more for privately insured care. Insurers pass that along to customers through premium rates.
Ideally, the boost in hospital payments means there will be less need to rely on private insurance revenue and customers will get better rates.
Paul Monies examined the changes in greater detail in his story published Wednesday morning.
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“Never let yourself be persuaded that any one Great Man, any one leader, is necessary to the salvation of America. When America consists of one leader and 158 million followers, it will no longer be America.”
— Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ciao for now,
Ted Streuli
Executive Director, Oklahoma
