Medicaid reform bill wins state House approval

Monday, March 13th 2006, 5:18 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma House approves a massive Medicaid reform measure that supporters said will improve patient care for more than 687,000 recipients and increase reimbursement rates to health care providers.

The measure was sent to the state Senate on a bipartisan 81-to-17 vote, although opponents fear it may reduce health care services to indigent Medicaid recipients.

The bill is based on the recommendations of a task force that suggested reforms and identified $111-million in savings that could be reinvested in patient care. The task force said billing errors caused by fraud, abuse or mistakes comprised most of the waste.

Last year, lawmakers used $63-million in natural gas revenue to leverage almost $200-million for the Medicaid program.

This measure appropriates $93-million to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates to Oklahoma's health care providers.

The money will leverage more than $300-million in state and federal funds for the program.