Patrick B. McGuigan
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin announced today (Thursday, April 14) that the Sooner State will not use a $54 million federal grant to design an Oklahoma health insurance exchange. Instead, legislation originating in the House of Representatives will design an information network funded with state and private resources.
A governing board for the public trust to create the network will consist of seven members and be chaired by the state Commissioner of Insurance, a position now held by John Doak who won election last November.
On the public trust formed in the envisioned law, a majority of members would come from the private sector rather than government.
Joining Fallin at the late morning press conference in the Blue Room of the state Capitol were Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman and Speaker of the House Kris Steele. All three speakers emphasized their strongly stated opposition to federal control over health care, the legislation signed into law law year by President Barack Obama.
The governor avoided any criticism of legislative Republicans or their leaders in today’s brief exchange with reporters.
House Speaker Kris Steele told reporters the new system will cost “a whole lot less” than $54 million. He said the new approach will incorporate a determination to avoid entanglement with the new federal health care law, which is widely known as “ObamaCare” among both critics and supporters.
In response to questions, Steele said that although he was not convinced the past grant had unacceptable strings attached, he did not care “who gets the credit.” He restated a determination that the network will be “Oklahoma-based, and designed to meet Oklahoma needs in Oklahoma ways.”
