SB 1484 requires Oklahoma medical examiners to conduct standardized investigations for sudden infant or young deaths (including SIDS, SUID, SDY, and SADS), mandating autopsies when needed, review of medical records, and documentation of recent immunizations. It requires medical examiners to notify parents or legal guardians before investigations begin and grants them the right to refuse parts of the process unless a crime is suspected. The bill expands mandatory investigations to cover all sudden unexplained deaths in children under 20, requiring reporting to a national CDC/NIH registry and sharing findings with the State Department of Health. This directly affects medical examiners, parents/guardians of deceased children, and state health authorities through new procedural requirements.
SB 1565 requires Oklahoma's Medicaid program to include nutrition support services for pregnant and postpartum women with diet-related conditions or high-risk pregnancy factors. It mandates medically tailored home-delivered meals designed by dietitians to meet specific medical needs, along with optional nutritional counseling, to improve maternal health outcomes. The bill authorizes Oklahoma Health Care Authority to use federal funds from the CMS Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model exclusively for these services. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and is designated as an emergency measure.
SB 1500 requires pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and other payors to pay pharmacies within 30 days for "clean claims" (properly submitted claims without issues). It prohibits PBMs from conditioning payments on post-transaction reconciliations or shifting payment delays to pharmacies, and mandates transparent accounting for payments. The bill also authorizes Oklahoma’s Attorney General to impose fines for violations and voids contracts that violate these rules. These changes directly affect pharmacies (as providers) and PBMs/insurers (as payors) by standardizing payment timelines and reducing financial risk for pharmacies.
SB 1644 would require Oklahoma's health department to add alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) to the official list of reportable diseases, meaning doctors, nurses, and clinical laboratories must report diagnosed cases to the state health department. AGS is a condition causing allergic reactions to red meat and other animal products, which currently lacks formal tracking in Oklahoma. The bill updates existing health reporting laws to include AGS and makes the language gender-neutral. It would take effect on November 1, 2026.
SB 444 updates Oklahoma's rules for disposing of expired, unused, or abandoned controlled substances (like prescription medications). It allows regular people (ultimate users) to safely dispose of their own medications without registration, permits hospice programs to handle medications from deceased patients under federal rules, and removes previous restrictions on disposal methods. All disposal must follow federal guidelines (21 C.F.R. Part 1317), require specific forms for hospice cases, and be documented for state/federal review. The law takes effect November 1, 2025.
SB 933 requires Oklahoma hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to adopt policies using surgical smoke evacuation systems during procedures likely to generate surgical smoke. These systems must capture smoke at the source before it reaches staff or patients' eyes or lungs. The bill defines "surgical smoke" as gaseous by-products like plume or bio-aerosols produced during energy-based surgical procedures. The policy must be implemented by November 1, 2025, to prevent exposure to this airborne hazard.
SB 1255 requires Oklahoma's Department of Corrections medical director to certify qualifying medical conditions and request the Pardon and Parole Board to place eligible inmates on a special docket for compassionate parole consideration. It directly affects inmates with specific terminal or debilitating conditions like dementia, cancer, HIV/AIDS, or conditions causing near-death (six-month life expectancy), or those unable to perform basic self-care. The bill bypasses the standard two-step parole hearing process for these inmates and mandates that at least three Board members must concur to consider medical parole. The Board must document concurrence in meeting minutes, and parolees may face revocation if their medical condition poses public safety risks.
This bill requires Oklahoma hospitals to provide patients experiencing fetal death or miscarriage with a form explaining how to request official certificates (fetal death or stillbirth birth certificates) before discharge. Hospitals must also verbally inform patients about these certificate options. The State Department of Health must create and publish this standardized form online, including clear instructions and contact details for vital records. The law takes effect November 1, 2026, directly affecting hospitals and patients in Oklahoma facing these medical circumstances.
SB 1645 establishes new rules for auditing long-term care providers (like nursing homes and Medicaid home-care agencies) under Oklahoma's Medicaid program. It requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to give providers 1 week's notice before audits, limits audits to 50 claims or 0.25% of annual claims, and prohibits holding providers liable for simple clerical errors (like typos) as fraud. Providers must be allowed 60 days to correct claims after an audit, and recoupments (recovery of overpaid funds) can only apply to corrected claims, not original billing errors. The bill also creates a two-step appeals process, allowing providers to challenge audit results through the Authority and then to an administrative law judge.
SB 2007 requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in Oklahoma to pay administrative fees to pharmacies when they adjust reimbursement rates for the same drug within 30 days after a successful appeal. Specifically, if a PBM increases reimbursement based on an appeal but then lowers it again for the same drug within 30 days, the PBM must pay $100 immediately, escalating to $500 after 90 days or $1,000 after 180 days if unpaid. The bill directly affects pharmacies and PBMs by mandating these fee payments for disputed reimbursements, ensuring providers aren’t financially penalized for legitimate appeal outcomes. It also includes other provisions like weekly MAC price updates and requirements for PBMs to provide clear documentation during reimbursement disputes. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.
