OKLAHOMA

Overview

Oklahoma operates a volunteer all-payer claims database. Approximately 1 million people’s claims are in this database, accounting for about 25% of Oklahoma’s total population. The legislature also introduced legislation to promote price transparency and cost containment in recent terms, including protection against surprise billing and a Right to Shop program that would require insurance carriers to establish for all health care plans a program in which enrollees are directly incentivized to shop for lower-cost participating health care providers or health care entities for comparable health care services. Incentives may include cash payments, gift cards or credits or reductions of premiums, copayments, cost-sharing or deductibles.

In the insurance market, Oklahoma uses the federally facilitated marketplace. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma was the only carrier offering plans on the state’s exchange until 2018. Since then, more plans have joined the exchange, effectively decreasing the rates of BCBS. To provide additional insurance alternatives in Oklahoma, the legislature also enacted the Health Care Choice Act to allow the state to enter into compacts with other states so that health plans domiciled in those states could be sold to Oklahoma residents without having to obtain an Oklahoma certificate of authority.

Oklahoma was awarded a CMS State Innovation Model grant in 2014, which authorized the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Center for Health Innovation and Effectiveness to utilize multi-payer value-based payment models to improve healthcare quality and bend the cost curve. In recent terms, the state legislature also proposed a public option bill that would authorize the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to implement a Medicaid Buy-In program in the state.

See below for an overview of existing Oklahoma state mandates. Click on citation tab for detailed information of specific statutes (click link to download statute text).

State Action


Latest Legislative Session: 2/6/2023 - 5/26/2023 (2023-2024 term). *Current session bill updates are ongoing. Check back weekly for updates.

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© 2018- The SLIHCQ DatabaseInitial funding for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

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© 2018- The SLIHCQ DatabaseInitial funding for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
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Additional Resources

STATE BUDGET

Oklahoma’s fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 in the following year. Oklahoma enacts its annual budget during the regular legislative session. View the current budget information here.

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