It was 2020, when in a summer election, Oklahoma voters narrowly approved Medicaid expansion—a key component of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
Rural Oklahoma led the opposition, with the chair of the opposition saying at the time, “Results are clear: A plan that claims to ‘save rural health care’ was overwhelmingly rejected by rural communities across Oklahoma. … Voters in more than 90% of Oklahoma counties voted against [the Medicaid expansion ballot measure].”
Among the initiative’s fiercest critics was Gov. Kevin Stitt, who fear-mongered that Medicaid expansion would mean cutting education, roads, and other state spending. He claimed it would create chaos in the budget, predicting outright catastrophe: “We already have a budget deficit. It’s going to come from cuts in other state agencies or tax increases. I’m not going to vote for a tax increase.”
Fast forward to today.
“As U.S House Republicans mull over budget cuts, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said the proposed slash to Medicaid dollars would impact state funds, rural hospitals, and health care service providers,” reported Achohoman.
Oh, so Obamacare was good for rural health care, despite rural Oklahoma voting overwhelmingly against it?
Oh, so Obamacare didn’t bankrupt the state or lead to higher taxes or cuts in education and other government services?
Oh, so Obamacare was a good thingand Oklahomans voted in favor of its Medicaid expansion in the exact same year they voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump. Well, an even larger majority of Oklahomans also voted for Trump in 2024even after his renewed promise to kill the Affordable Care Act:
Kristen Welker, NBC News: You said during the campaign you have concepts of a plan. Do you have an actual plan at this point for health care?
Trump: Yes. We have concepts of a plan that would be better.
Welker: Still just concepts? Do you have a fully developed plan?
Trump: Let me explain. We have the biggest health care companies looking at it. We have doctors. We’re always looking because Obamacare stinks. It’s lousy. There are better answers. If we come up with a better answer, I would present that answer to Democrats and to everybody else, and I’d do something about it.
The reality is that Oklahoma’s Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act did not—and does not—stink.
“The latest data from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority reveal that 1,038,625 Oklahomans are enrolled in SoonerCare, the state’s Medicaid program. That’s about a quarter of the state’s population. Over half of enrollees are children,” reported The Oklahoman. “In 2021, 54.5% of births were covered by SoonerCare, according to OHCA data. Of SoonerCare enrollees, 70.2% are under the federal poverty line.”
Trump and the Republican Party don’t care about any of those people. Stitt didn’t either, and he fought hard to prevent Medicaid expansions in his state. Then he campaigned hard for Trump.
And now that Republicans are ready to give Stitt what he wanted—the death of Medicaid expansion—now he’s gonna be all “Woah, woah, let’s not be so hasty!” Screw that guy.
Oklahomans who voted for this, including parents of the children on the program, it really is time to start rethinking your allegiances.
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