{"id":1334,"date":"2011-10-14T09:53:16","date_gmt":"2011-10-14T14:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=1334"},"modified":"2011-10-14T09:53:16","modified_gmt":"2011-10-14T14:53:16","slug":"budget-for-state-medicaid-authority-could-top-1-billion-in-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2011\/10\/14\/budget-for-state-medicaid-authority-could-top-1-billion-in-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Budget for State Medicaid Authority Could Top $1 Billion in 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Oklahoma Healthcare Authority is asking for a 25 percent budget increase for fiscal year 2013, a nearly quarter-billion dollar bump atop its current budget of almost $1 billion.<\/p>

The authority administers the state\u2019s Medicaid program, which comprises the bulk of the budget request. The authority is asking for $166 million to maintain current service levels of SoonerCare, Oklahoma\u2019s Medicaid program, The Oklahoman reported<\/a> today.<\/p>

The authority<\/a> wants another $33 million to restore the health care provider\u2019s rate cuts from FY2010, and $16 million to give nursing homes, private duty nurses and other providers rate increases, which would bring them up to national industry standards, the paper reported.
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\u201cIt’s so that we can monitor the program efficiently and effectively,\u201d Juarez McCann, the authority\u2019s chief budget officer told the paper.<\/p><\/blockquote>

The authority\u2019s other funding requests include:<\/p>\n