Healthcare (Medicaid)

This is a resolution (not a bill) introduced by Oklahoma's House of Representatives. It requests the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to require equal reimbursement rates for healthcare providers treating Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) patients as those provided for traditional Medicare (Parts A/B) patients. The resolution specifically addresses Oklahoma's 800,000 Medicare beneficiaries and aims to correct current rate disparities that affect providers serving these patients. As a non-binding request, it does not change law but asks CMS to adjust its payment policies.

SB 1329 requires Medicaid providers in Oklahoma to screen women for postpartum depression during any in-person visit with a Medicaid member or her infant within one year after childbirth. This screening must be reimbursed under the state Medicaid program, directly affecting Medicaid providers and pregnant/postpartum women enrolled in Medicaid. The bill mandates the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to seek necessary federal approval and develop implementing rules. It becomes effective November 1, 2026, aiming to integrate mental health checks into routine postpartum care.

SB 787 establishes the Oklahoma Health Care Cost Containment and Affordability Act, setting strict limits on how much health insurance plans must pay hospitals and providers for inpatient or outpatient services. It prohibits payments exceeding 200% of Medicare rates (or Medicaid rates if Medicare doesn't cover the service) or the median rate paid by health plans for the same service. This directly affects hospitals, health systems, and providers billing health insurance plans, while exempting critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and rural clinics. The bill also requires providers to report pricing data to the State Department of Health and insurers to monitor compliance, with strict confidentiality rules for shared information.