Managed Care for Medicaid was a hot bed issue during the 2021 Legislative Session, but it appears Governor Stitt will get mostly what he wants. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority awarded four contracts to third parties to manage the health care of those accessing Medicaid in Oklahoma. Several pieces of legislation were considered concerning the managed care organization (MCO) contracts. The result is Senate Bill 131 which puts “guard rails” in place for the MCOs to follow as they take over Medicaid. It became law without Stitt’s signature this week.
“I appreciate the Legislature’s recognition that managed care is the best path forward for our state via the authority the Oklahoma Health Care Authority retains,” said Stitt.
The governor also noted his concerns about how SB 131 could have unintended consequences and decided not to sign the bill, nor veto it.
“I have concerns that Senate Bill 131 will likely increase costs and limit our ability to improve health outcomes compared to the original plan I proposed and this bill could also make it more difficult to detect waste, fraud and abuse in our Medicaid system.
“I understand that many legislators are also aware of these issues and I am committed to working together to resolve them as we move forward with managed care in Oklahoma,” Stitt said.
