Let’s not go backward on Medicaid expansion

Six years ago, Oklahoma voters passed Medicaid expansion and secured health care for tens of thousands of hard-working Oklahomans who were previously uninsured.

In doing so, Oklahoma became the fifth state to expand Medicaid with a statewide ballot initiative and, over the next few years, watched the lifesaving impact of this decision made as the state’s uninsured rate dropped from 17.6% in 2019 to 13.9% by late 2024. The drop represented 250,000 hardworking Oklahomans gaining access to lifesaving coverage. Expansion also significantly reduced the uninsured rate among Indigenous Oklahomans and strengthened financial security by lowering medical debt and supporting housing stability.

Despite this progress, Gov. Kevin Stitt used his State of the State address to attack Medicaid and call on lawmakers to rollback the lifesaving program.

This is a concerning reversal of progress.

A broad coalition of health care professionals, grassroots advocates and state leaders from across the political spectrum worked extensively to lead efforts for Medicaid expansion. Voters understood the importance of joining 35 other states at the time in making health insurance more accessible for low-income adults earning less than $22,024 a year for an individual and $45,540 for a family of four.

Cancer does not consider your paycheck, but health insurance determines whether you get the care you need. I work with countless volunteers who utilized Medicaid for their cancer treatment and without that coverage may not be here with us today. They are hard-working adults and students who had no other option for quality, affordable coverage. Research shows having health insurance is one of the most significant factors in whether a person survives a cancer diagnosis. The health insurance Medicaid offers is a lifeline, and the voters were clear when they passed Medicaid expansion at the ballot that they wanted that lifeline extended.

Not only does Medicaid expansion save lives, but it’s also fiscally responsible. Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma is a cost-efficient program primarily supported by federal funds and the hospitals in our state. This means that Medicaid expansion has brought significant federal investment to Oklahoma and allowed the state to offset costs with matching federal dollars. National and state studies show expansion saves states money overall by reducing costs in other parts of the budget and bringing in economic activity.

Gov. Stitt’s proposal would not eliminate health care costs. It would shift them, often onto patients, families and local communities already struggling to get by. This would undoubtedly result in loss of coverage for thousands of Oklahomans. When people lose coverage, they are more likely to delay cancer screenings or treatment until a diagnosis becomes more advanced and far more expensive to treat. Late-stage cancer costs are up to 7 times higher than the costs to treat earlier-stage cancer. Hospitals absorb much of that uncompensated care, particularly in rural areas where facilities already operate on narrow margins. A threat to Medicaid is a threat to our state’s hospital and health systems.

Medicaid expansion currently covers more than 250,000 Oklahomans and is critical in rural areas and for cancer patients. One in 10 Oklahomans diagnosed with cancer have coverage through Medicaid, and nearly 24,570 Oklahomans will hear “you have cancer” this year. That population won’t decrease by taking care away from people. States that expanded Medicaid saw more than 2,500 earlier cancer diagnoses and prevented more than 1,600 deaths from cancer in the first five years of expansion.

No system is perfect. Medicaid in Oklahoma is a vital source of health insurance and must be monitored and maintained. And in the coming year, due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress, more reforms and work requirements will be implemented on Medicaid expansion. We will all need to work together to protect access to care for patients and their families.

The research is clear, health insurance saves lives. Let’s not rollback a program supported by Oklahoma voters that helps our people get the care that they need, on top of all the financial burdens hard-working Oklahomans face already in today’s economy.

Matt Glanville is the Oklahoma and Arkansas government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.