Additional funding for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and Department of Human Services is just a House vote away from approval.
The full Senate approved measures Wednesday giving OHCA $17.7 million and DHS $26.5 million to get them through April. The funding will halt provider rate cuts by OHCA.
"Protecting provider rates is essential to ensuring Oklahomans, especially rural Oklahomans, have access to their doctors and other health care providers. The Senate’s vote today protects an essential part of our state’s health care system," said President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz in a news release.
Minority Leader John Sparks said lawmakers’ work is not done, though.
"While this is important, I don't want anybody to think that we have forgotten or abandoned the importance of other issues that we're currently discussing and working on, such as teachers' pay, other health care issues and other items that are in dire need of supplemental funding," Sparks said.
Lawmakers will likely come back to cobble together a broader budget fix after the holidays, and leaders are in talks with the governor now.
Senate Bill 1, which funds OHCA, passed 35–4, and SB2, which funds DHS, passed 37–4. Republican Senators Josh Brecheen, Bill Brown, Joseph Silk and Anthony Sykes were the no votes on both measures.
The House is expected to vote on the measures Friday.
