We fact checked the debate over privatizing Medicaid in Oklahoma

A $2.2-billion plan to privatize Medicaid in Oklahoma has generated a flurry of dubious claims by both supporters and opponents. Under a proposal backed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, four private health insurance companies would handle much of Oklahoma’s Medicaid program starting in October: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma; Humana Healthy Horizons; Oklahoma Complete Health, which is a subsidiary of managed care giant Centene; and United Healthcare.

The shift to managed care has drawn criticisms from the Oklahoma State Medical Association; Oklahoma Osteopathic Association, the Oklahoma Hospital Association and and the state’s chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics among others. Providers claim privatization would increase administrative costs while cutting patient services. Supporters of the plan claim privatization would improve health outcomes by providing more preventative care as well as reduce costs.

The Frontier used public records, academic studies and interviews with public health officials to fact check these claims and others.

Claim: “The supposed benefit of switching to Medicaid managed care is to create savings for the state. The catch? To create those savings, insurance companies will reduce services to Medicaid patients by up to 40%,” a coalition of health care providers claimed on Twitter.

Fact check: Mostly False.

Read more: https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/we-fact-checked-debate-over-privatizing-medicaid-in-oklahoma/