April 16, 2021

This last week was heavy with floor work as members moved toward the April 22 floor deadline and also started budget talks.

In addition, managed care continued to be a big topic after the passage of a committee substitute to SB131 that would instruct the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to create an internal managed care system. The measure awaits a floor hearing. All of this came as news broke of one of the companies awarded the contract in Oklahoma is being sued in Mississippi and Ohio for breach of contract.

The state is still seeking a federal 1115 waiver to allow it to implement its managed care plan. You may make comment here, until April 22. If you choose to make comment, it is a good place to state how managed care could impact your patients and practices and what your major concerns are.

In the area of vaccines, we are still working with the coalition to try to keep HB2335 and SB658 from being heard on the floor. An amendment was filed on SB658 after it passed committee.

The governor has signed SB913 makes changes to the way that the legislature approves agency rules. This bill has been signed by the governor. It calls for a joint committee on rules to review rules throughout the year, not just when the legislature is in session, among other things. Here is a summary from staff that might be helpful. FISCAL IMPACT REPORT (state.ok.us)

Other news and bills:

• The Senate has confirmed Lance Frye as the commissioner of health.
• HB2678, co pay accumulator, is on the governor’s desk. This will require insurance companies to count proceeds from coupons that patients use to count toward patients’ deductibles.
• SB511 allows for the use of private money for harm reduction services such as needle collection and disposal, testing and education about sexually transmitted diseases.

Now we move into the last week of floor hearings before conference committee to finish the last measures not agreed upon and budget bills. Stay tuned!