#MakeOKBetter
Dear Oklahoma Resident:
Health care in Oklahoma is on life support, and time is running out. The clear solution is to rebalance Medicaid and raise the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack.
Our Oklahoma lawmakers have only about two weeks to avert the crisis before catastrophic medical provider rate cuts become inevitable.
If the proposed 25-percent provider rate cuts kick in:
- MRHC would lose $2 million to $2.5 million in Medicaid collections.
- 4 out of 5 Oklahoma hospitals will not deliver babies.
- 9 out of 10 Oklahoma nursing homes will be forced to shut down.
- More than a dozen Oklahoma hospitals will close within one year.
We cannot let this disaster happen. Recent polling reveals 74 percent of Oklahomans support raising the cigarette tax, which will provide critical state funding for Medicaid, improve health outcomes and save the state money.
Unfortunately, some Legislators want to defer a supermajority decision to a public vote next year. By that time, the damage will be done: our facilities will have closed; our healthcare workers will have left the state for new jobs.
It is crucial that your elected Legislators hear from you! Contact your legislators TODAY and tell them to VOTE to raise the cigarette tax NOW. Click this link to find your legislator or call (800) 522-8502.
Click here for a flyer with more information.
It’s crunch time. We need your help to save health care in Oklahoma. Together, we must make Oklahoma better, before it is too late.
Thank you for your support on this very important matter,
David Keith, FACHE
MRHC President & CEO
Chris Whybrew, FACHE
MRHC Chief Development Officer
Kim Stout, CPHRM
MRHC Chief Nursing Officer
Darryl Linnington, FACHE
MRHC Chief Financial Officer
Jason Bray, ACHE
MRHC Chief Information Officer
Shawn Howard, CHE
MRHC Assistant Administrator