Abortion payment policy in Oklahoma won't change

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Jun 15, 2007 by Jeff Packham

Policy changes regarding Medicaid payments for abortion procedures aren't expected to change despite changes to state law, it was announced Thursday during a meeting of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority Board of Directors.

Nico Gomez, director of governmental and public affairs for OHCA, reported to the board that the agency didn't anticipate Senate Bill 139 requiring any policy changes for reimbursements to hospitals for Medicaid procedures.

Gomez said Medicaid reimbursement records for the past two years showed only one abortion at a public facility and that it was to save the life of the mother, which was one of the exceptions contained in the law. The other exemptions are for rape or incest.

"It appears the agency's not going to be directly impacted," Gomez said.

The bill makes it unlawful for any state employee to perform an abortion or for any state funds to be used to pay for such a procedure.

Gomez said the agency would review SB 139, which goes into effect Nov. 1, to make sure no changes were needed, but he said it appeared the state law didn't change the policy required under federal Medicaid law.

Two other major changes for the agency via legislation involve health insurance changes.

House Bill 1225 proposes an expansion of the Oklahoma Employer/ Employee Partnership for Insurance Coverage (O-EPIC) Program. The employee cap will be increased from 50 to 250, and the minimum income eligibility will include employees whose family income doesn't exceed 250 percent of the federal poverty level.

Gomez said the changes have agency officials believing it "will open the floodgates" for participation, while state Medicaid Director Lynn Mitchell agreed there could be a tremendous increase in the number of those businesses participating in the program.

"We expect those numbers to grow dramatically," Mitchell said.

The bill becomes effective Nov. 1.

Another bill expected to have a significant effect on the Medicaid system is Senate Bill 424, also known as the All Kids Act. The bill expands eligibility for health care insurance through Medicaid from 185 percent above the poverty level to 300 percent.

The program is designed to provide choices for those who qualify to spend less money on private insurance but grant an opportunity to have insurance for those who have financial difficulties in maintaining health care coverage. The proposal was set up to discourage people taking advantage of the system but to help those in need.

"Clearly, the legislative intent is for it to be a sliding scale," Gomez said.