The Oklahoma Constitutional Amendment was approved by a majority vote.
Within just two weeks, the state of Oklahoma was involved in two epidemic-related milestones, the first of which resumed President Donald Trump's campaign in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
Second Milestone: Oklahoma is the first state to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act since the epidemic began.
The vote was passed by narrow voters.
The ballot, referred to as State Question 802, was approved by a 50.5% majority and is now expected to expand coverage to Oklahoma of less than $ 200,000 through the state constitutional amendment. This measure indicates that some low-income adults may be eligible for health care coverage, and the Affordable Care Act aims to prevent health care insurance from making it more difficult for them to succeed.
Although the initiative was initiated prior to the nationwide COVID-19 outbreak, Tuesday's decision has brought a new level of importance to the Sun state, with a steady rise in reported coronavirus cases over the past few months. As of Wednesday, the Oklahoma State Department of Health had registered 14,000 cases across the state.
"We have defended state Question 802 in the Constitution so that we do not keep it in the hands of politicians and special interests - so the language is clear that they should expand Medicaid and fund the Legislature," Amber England, campaign manager 802 "Oklahoma's Diseased Healthcare" initiative with Teleconference said.
According to England, ratification of the measure would increase the state's additional federal funding by more than $ 1 billion and would help "protect public hospitals."
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said in a statement Wednesday to ABC News that the state's 802 Workstation lawmakers "have a difficult task determining where to get $ 200 in funding to support this constitutional mandate." Lakhs can be found. "
Stitt, who has long opposed the move, said the state would see a $ 1 billion shortfall in the coming year, including options for education, roads and bridges, and to increase or reduce funding for the public. Security "includes."
England insisted on the governor's assessment, saying he would definitely "have a strong conversation" about the implementation of the amendment, and that the change was going to happen.
"We have a mandate for most of the Oklahoma voters. We want more health care, not less," she said.
According to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, similar efforts have been made over the past few years to expand Medicaid through ballots in some other states, including Maine, Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia have pursued Medicaid expansion, according to the nonprofit foundation.
Missouri is currently one of the states that do not extend coverage, but the government may be on the mic after the change. Earlier this year, Mike Parson announced that Missouri would vote on the Medicaid expansion question as part of the state's Aug. 4 meeting. The primary election.
The prospect of another red-state inning three months before the November election will only deepen the Trump administration's rhetoric against the Affordable Care Act. While Trump did not mention his pre-signing policy at a campaign rally in Tulsa on June 20, Tuesday's vote in Oklahoma politically condemned the current administration's efforts to abolish government-backed health insurance coverage, while Country One is fighting an epidemic.
"It's very little health care," Trump said in May about the Affordable Care Act. "All we want to do is end it and give great health care."
To date, the Trump administration has not provided an alternative to health care policy. In a June 2019 interview with ABC News, Trump promised to continue his new plan, which he said was "far less expensive than Obamacare." At the time, Trump said his administration would "have a proposal in about two months, maybe less," but so far no plans have been announced.
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