State health insurance program in flux

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Officials say the start of a state program to subsidize small businesses that want to provide health insurance to their employees may be delayed.<br/><br/>Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Tuesday, August 16th 2005, 5:14 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Officials say the start of a state program to subsidize small businesses that want to provide health insurance to their employees may be delayed.

Oklahoma Health Care Authority spokeswoman Jo Kilgore says the agency must get approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by the end of August to launch the program on time.

Kilgore says her agency planned to start the Premium Assistance Program October 1st, and that CMS approval is all that is holding up the program.

Under the program, the state would pay 60 percent of the health insurance premiums of workers at businesses that employ 25 or fewer people. Employers would pay 25 percent and employees 15 percent.