Group draws attention to uninsured Oklahomans

Monday, May 10th 2004, 12:12 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- In an effort to combat the rising number of Oklahomans with no health insurance, a group representing public health, private business and the faith community announced Monday the start of Cover the Uninsured Week in Oklahoma.

For Oklahoma City resident Rita Clytus, attending the press conference at the state Capitol meant spending money on gas that could have gone to buy medication for chronic leg pain.

"It's excruciating, but I can't afford to go to a doctor," said Clytus, a single mother of two who shared her difficulties of providing health care to her family on a fixed income. "I continue to live on Tylenol, Excedrin, whatever my pocketbook can afford."

Clytus is just one of more than 600,000 Oklahomans and an estimated 44 million Americans who have no health coverage, said Oklahoma Health Commissioner Dr. Mike Crutcher. As health care costs continue to rise, so do the number of uninsured Americans.

"This is a very significant issue," Crutcher said.

State Sen. Angela Monson said uninsured Oklahomans often don't seek medical attention for minor illnesses, which can escalate into major medical problems that require more costly emergency care. This cycle plays a key role in driving up the costs of health care for everyone, she said.

"If we don't address this problem, it will break us," said Monson, D-Oklahoma City. "We will have an unhealthy population of individuals who will cost huge amounts to pay for."

Organizers said the goal of Cover the Uninsured Week is part of a national effort to raise public awareness of the issue and develop ways to provide assistance to the uninsured and small business owners.

Monson and Crutcher both took the opportunity to endorse Gov. Brad Henry's proposed tobacco tax increase, a portion of which would be used to expand health care coverage by providing premium assistance to employers.

Henry's latest plan, a 55-cents-per-pack increase, is expected to generate $140 million.

About $50 million of that would go to expand health care coverage and $50 million would be used to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates of doctors, hospitals and other health care providers.

Additional revenue would be used to build a cancer research center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and improve the state trauma care system. The new proposal, which would also include an elimination of the capital gains tax on Oklahoma property and provide new funding at Oklahoma State University at Tulsa, is pending in a conference committee.