At the Oklahoma Health Care Authority's community engagement meeting in Norman regarding legislation that passed last session imposing work requirements on Medicaid recipients.
Cleveland County will have one of the highest numbers of affected citizens in the state at 285. OK County is highest at 1,155, Tulsa County comes in at 1,094. LeFlore and Comanche Counties round out the top five.
4,335 of those affected are female, 1,858 are male. 4,003 are single parents/caretakers, and 1,017 are multiple parent/caretakers. Average household of those affected has three members and an annual income of $9,348.
These community meetings were required under the legislation, and the Center for Medicaid Services also requires them in order to seek a waiver to impose work requirements.
One of the exemptions is for those who are certified mentally unable to work. Citizen asks how that will be implemented if someone is not on SSI/SSDI. OHCA says that's something they're working on and seeking input, but they are leaning towards having their own process.
OHCA is proposing additional exemptions: American Indians, foster care parents, those formerly in foster care, people enrolled in the OHCA Breast & Cervical Care Program, those enrolled in the OHCA family planning program, and those released from incarceration in the last 6 mos.
One citizen is concerned that this legislation is being sold to the public by the legislature as something that will reduce the number of people on Medicaid. Are there any numbers from other states that show this is true?
There seems to be a little confusion at the meeting about why this meeting is even taking place or why OHCA is implementing this policy. Keep in mind that this was the legislature's decision to direct OHCA to seek a waiver that will allow them to impose a work requirement.
OHCA says they are seeking input on the most effective way to contact those who will be affected by this policy and help them do what they need to do to keep their coverage. One citizen expresses that there needs to be a way for people to access help other than online.
Lots of consensus in the room about not placing everything online when it comes to this process because many people don't have access and may not have the reading skills to fill out everything.
"We assume that everyone is internet savvy, but that's wrong."
Concern about the paperwork that employers will have to fill out to verify that a recipient is working. Also concern about a cumbersome paperwork burden that will deter recipients from applying at all, and more people will end up going to the emergency room.
Citizens now expressing concern about rural hospitals that may now see fewer patients with coverage, and the fiscal burden that will place upon them.
Question about someone who seeks an exemption and is denied: is there a process for an appeal? OHCA says they currently have a legal dept and an administrative law judge that resolves disputes over eligibility in other programs. They are unsure this will be the same process.
"there should have been years of increasing employment programs before this policy was considered."
Concern about daycare being very expensive and people who are working not being able to afford child care.
More concern about rural areas and lack of transportation, not many jobs available.
"This is just so mean." (someone I'm proud to call a constituent said this.)
"I don't know how a single mother making $779/month is supposed to pay for child care." Someone responded, "well, then they can get help from the gov't to pay for child care, but does that make sense for the taxpayer? Will there be any cost savings at all?"
OHCA says they will negotiate with CMS in November and December about implementation of this program. They know that continuity of coverage is a focus of CMS' when it comes to granting waivers.
