For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Angela Allmond, Communications Director
Oklahoma Democratic Party
angela@okdemocrats.org

Oklahoma Democrats Denounce Stitt’s Rushed Manage Care Plan for Medicaid

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, FEBRUARY 9, 2021 – Stitt’s rush to use managed care for Oklahoma’s Medicaid program without lawmakers’ input is concerning should be of concern to all Oklahomans.

“Making major changes to our state’s healthcare system during a pandemic without consulting our legislators and health experts is reckless,” said Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Alicia Andrews.

“Oklahomans elected our legislators to be a collaborative part of the process, and Stitt is circumventing their job. This is just another example of his mismanagement of the duties of a governor,” Andrews continued.

“The Oklahoma State Medical Association filed to stop Stitt’s managed care plan, and the Oklahoma Dental Association has come out against any type of privately managed Medicaid.

“Health groups and experts remind us that our attempts in the past to privately manage Medicaid has been a failure and will be unnecessarily costly to Oklahomans. Even worse, fewer people will likely be able to stay on the program. Oklahomans deserve to make sure that any decisions made to Medicaid involve lawmakers with substantial input from our healthcare community,” she said.

“Rushing to switch our Medicaid program to out-of-state private managed care during a pandemic crisis has disaster written all over it. Oklahomans will be the ones to suffer the consequences from this ill-conceived plan where profit takes priority over the people Stitt swore an oath to protect. This is not how we become a top ten state, Governor,” concluded Andrews.

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For more information about the Oklahoma Democratic Party, visit the party website at okdemocrats.org, or call party headquarters at 405-427-3366.