Governor’s ‘Insure Oklahoma’ Plan Misses Legislative Cut

A spokesman says “it’s a puzzler” why Gov. Brad Henry’s plan to expand a small business health insurance program was not heard in the state House of Representatives before a legislative deadline expired.

“We were surprised, particularly when we got a request from the business community to offer this bill and this program” and it has been praised by President Bush’s health secretary,” Paul Sund, Henry’s communications director, said.

Sund said the governor’s office had been assured by Republican leaders that the bill, by Rep. Chuck Hoskin, “was in good shape” to be heard in the GOP House.

Hoskin also was disappointed. “Not to put down anyone’s legislation, but we found time to hear bills naming watermelon the official state vegetable and the Dutch Oven as the official cooking pot of Oklahoma,” he said.

Mar. 18 was the deadline for the House to act on House bills. Damon Gardenhire, spokesman for House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, said several GOP-sponsored bills also missed the deadline.

The Senate did not act on expanding the “Insure Oklahoma” program, but approved a bill to increase the number of Oklahoma children who qualify for Medicaid.

Henry’s Insure Oklahoma proposal would increase the number of working families that qualify for the program by raising the eligibility standard from 185 percent to 200 percent of the poverty line.

Cargill and other have complained the program has under-delivered, with fewer than 2,000 businesses participating.

Henry said an effort is under way to better market the program by the Health Care Authority and other agencies.