Insure Oklahoma clarified
7/8/2009 -- The Tulsa World ----
In a June 16 Tulsa World article ("Doctors don't like U.S.-run insurance") Dr. Lee Schoeffler states information about Oklahoma's Insure Oklahoma program that requires correction and clarification.
The Insure Oklahoma program is designed to help small businesses provide health insurance to their lower-income employees. These employees are the ones who most likely are uninsured as they cannot afford health insurance premiums. The program is available to employees and spouses with low to moderate household incomes. A family of four can have a household income of a little more than $44,000 to qualify.
It helps pay the premiums for private market health insurance policies using funds from the state's tobacco tax matched with federal funds. Currently, there are 20 insurance carriers providing more than 450 choices of health plans from which small business owners can choose. Some of the larger carriers include Aetna Health, Inc., BlueCross BlueShield, CommunityCare and PacifiCare. The diversity allows owners to select coverage that best meets their needs and the market determines product offerings.
Through Insure Oklahoma, the employer pays 25 percent of the premiums for qualifying employees. The employee pays up to 15 percent and state and federal dollars supplement the balance. There are currently 4,752 businesses enrolled.
The Insure Oklahoma program does appear to be working as it was designed. Insuring more people and helping more people in our state keep their health insurance was never an "unanticipated consequence" of this program, it was and will continue to be our mission.
Dr. Lynn Mitchell, Oklahoma City
Editor's note: Mitchell is the state Medicaid director for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority