State medical association concerned over governor's removal of OHCA board members
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — A shake-up on the Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s board, after meetings discussing the privatization of the state’s Medicaid program.
Two members were asked to step down by the governor over the weekend.
The OHCA administers the state’s SoonerCare program and in recent years the governor has been working to privatize the program instead.
“We’re not totally surprised but we’re absolutely disappointed,” said Dr. Mary Clarke, Oklahoma State Medical Association’s president. “I know the two physicians have taken this very hard because they have worked very hard to try to do the best thing for the OHCA and the people that they take care of.”
The two doctors Jean Hausheer and Laura Shamblin, both were opposed to the privatization of the program in meetings last week.
Clarke says that currently, 96% of the funds that come into OHCA go directly back to providing care for Oklahomans.
Based on the last contracts they received from the out-of-state private companies only 85% would go to care meaning the number and quality of services would decrease.
A situation that OSMA warns doesn’t allow the medical organization to operate how it should.
“That becomes a really tough thing, that is not what our government has ever been. We are not tyrants, we don't have a king, we don't have a queen, we don't have any one person to make that. That's why we separated these channels,” said Clarke.
NewsChannel 8 reached out to the Governor’s office for comment about why they were asked to step down and have not gotten a response.