I just added a new link under Healthcare for a great article that a medical professional sent me from the 7 June 07 issue of Business Week called "The Sorry States of Health Care".
Sadly but not surprisingly Oklahoma is tied with Mississippi for the title of the worst healthcare in the United States.
The article explains that under current Federal law, states have full authority over how health care is delivered, paid for and monitored. States regulate insurers and hospitals. They run the public health systems and most importantly they decide who is and who isn't covered by Medicaid and SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program). To me that means that Oklahoma can do better if they work at it.
Sadly but not surprisingly Oklahoma is tied with Mississippi for the title of the worst healthcare in the United States.
The article explains that under current Federal law, states have full authority over how health care is delivered, paid for and monitored. States regulate insurers and hospitals. They run the public health systems and most importantly they decide who is and who isn't covered by Medicaid and SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program). To me that means that Oklahoma can do better if they work at it.
During the last legislative session, the Governor was able to increase the number of insured Oklahoma children in SCHIP by 40,000. He was able to accomplish this despite strong opposition from Lance Cargill, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
One would think that the state legislature would have been eager to fund this new initiative considering that they are always saying how important children are to the future of Oklahoma. They also say education is important, but again education funding was finalized too late for the school administrations to effectively budget for the coming year. Most people realize that healthy children learn better and the only way Oklahoma can ever help all children learn better is to be sure they are healthy enough to learn.
Well, our state legislature barely passed the bill. The Speaker of the House, Lance Cargill voted against the bill and also tried to have it killed in committee. His kids have good insurance so I guess that's all that counts to him.
I am convinced that the only way we will ever have Better Oklahoma Government is if we start electing better Oklahoma legislators.
One would think that the state legislature would have been eager to fund this new initiative considering that they are always saying how important children are to the future of Oklahoma. They also say education is important, but again education funding was finalized too late for the school administrations to effectively budget for the coming year. Most people realize that healthy children learn better and the only way Oklahoma can ever help all children learn better is to be sure they are healthy enough to learn.
Well, our state legislature barely passed the bill. The Speaker of the House, Lance Cargill voted against the bill and also tried to have it killed in committee. His kids have good insurance so I guess that's all that counts to him.
I am convinced that the only way we will ever have Better Oklahoma Government is if we start electing better Oklahoma legislators.
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