Experts worry about future of Oklahoma Medicaid funding

Oklahoma could unintentionally lose hundreds of millions of dollars after privatizing part of its Medicaid system, health care experts said.

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is preparing to select a company that will eventually coordinate care for the state's aged, blind and disabled population. However, a recently adopted federal rule cuts off an important revenue source for states that move to a managed care system.

Those payments help doctors, medical specialists, home-care providers and hospitals take on patients who use Medicaid.

Some health care experts worry that Oklahoma providers could lose $650 million in supplemental payments. Tammy Powell, president of St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City, said that Medicaid doesn't pay for everything that a patient needs. Without the extra support, the hospital would lose money on every Medicaid patient.

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