When it comes to the number of uninsured residents, only Texas ranks worse than Oklahoma. In 2020, more than 14% of Oklahoma residents were without health care coverage.
Gov. Stitt opposed the most important health care initiative in the state to address the issue – a voter-approved state ballot measure that expanded Medicaid to keep rural hospitals open and provide health coverage for lower-income Oklahomans, including many small business employees who otherwise wouldn’t have access to health care.
Stitt has also been criticized for how he attempted to implement the program, pushing a plan that would have sent taxpayer dollars to out-of-state insurance companies. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that Stitt’s plan was unconstitutional.
Sources:
- Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population, Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020
- Gov. Stitt’s plan to privatize Medicaid lacks required legislative authorization, Oklahoma Supreme Court says, KFOR, 6/1/21
- The Long, Winding Road to Medicaid Expansion in Oklahoma, Oklahoma Watch, 6/28/21