Lankford Disappointed in Obama Administration’s Termination of Insure Oklahoma

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE , May 9, 2013

Lankford Disappointed in Obama Administration’s Termination of Insure Oklahoma

Washington, DC—Representative James Lankford issued the following statement after the Obama Administration denied Insure Oklahoma’s waiver to continue operations after the 2014 implementation of the ACA.

Since 2005 Insure Oklahoma has been an important state-based solution to provide affordable health insurance to nearly 30,000 low-income Oklahomans. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Studies (CMS) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently notified the State of Oklahoma that despite efforts by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to obtain a waiver, the Insure Oklahoma program will expire on December 31, 2013.

“I am disappointed that the Obama Administration is terminating an effective and accountable state-driven program in favor of one-size-fits-all federal power grab that further tightens Washington’s grip on our nation’s healthcare system,” said Lankford.

“There is no reason the Obama Administration should refuse to grant a waiver to Insure Oklahoma. Our state has utilized this efficient program for years to provide low-to-moderate income Oklahomans with quality healthcare options without the bureaucratic red tape of the federal government. I am shocked—but not surprised, unfortunately—that the Administration would terminate this program and unnecessarily cost taxpayers across the country. Apparently the Obama Administration’s sales pitch that people who liked their health care could ‘keep it,’ didn’t apply to great state-run options like Insure Oklahoma,” concluded Lankford.

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