Weekly Opinion Editorial

RURAL OKLAHOMA NOT REPRESENTED!
by Steve Fair

According to the U.S. Census Bureau eighty four percent of Americans live in metropolitan areas. In Oklahoma, only 63.3% of the state’s population lives in metropolitian areas. Oklahoma is a rural state.
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According to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) the sixteen percent of Americans that live in rural areas have only nine percent of the nation’s physicians. They claim the lack of accessibility for those in rural areas to quality health care results in higher risk for cancer, heart disease and diabetics. Oklahoma ranks 46th in primary care physicians per capita- 80 for each 100,000 population.
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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation along with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has ranked every county in the US on health. The four factors they used were health behavior, clinical care, social and economic and physical factors. Out of Oklahoma’s seventy-seven counties, Stephens County ranks 21st. Complete information on the study can be found at http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

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When he was running in 2008, President Obama had a ‘Rural Plan.’ for America that included a tenet on health care. The plan can be viewed at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ruralplan/ Obama said, “A basic problem facing rural America is access to affordable quality health care. Barack Obama is committed to signing universal health legislation by the end of his first term in office that ensures all Americans have high-quality, affordable health care coverage. His plan will save a typical American family up to $2,500 every year on their health care costs.
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Obama delivered on his promise and ‘The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act’ was passed and signed into law. Some provisions have begun, but it will take ten years for the entire plan to be implemented. Last week, ObamaCare was dealt a blow when the 11th Circuit of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that it was unconstitutional to require all Americans to buy insurance or face a penalty. The 2 to 1 decision said that Congress exceeded its authority by requiring Americans to buy coverage.
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Governor Mary Fallin said about the 11th circuit ruling; “I am pleased that yet another federal court has agreed that the ‘individual mandate’ contained within the president’s health care law is unconstitutional. Oklahomans have made it clear the federal government under no circumstance should be allowed to force citizens to purchase health insurance. As this case moves through the federal court system, I look forward to continued validation that the ‘individual mandate’ is unconstitutional and in contradiction with the free market principles that have made this nation great.”
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Last week, Oklahoma legislative leaders announced membership and meetings for the Joint Committee on Federal Health Care Law, a special legislative committee that will study how the new federal health care law aka ObamaCare will affect Oklahoma.Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman and House Speaker Kris Steele ordered the formation of the joint committee this past legislative session to ensure Oklahoma properly addresses the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. At the direction of co-chairmen Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, and Rep. Glen Mulready, R-Tulsa, the Joint Committee of Federal Health Care Law will do its work through a series of public meetings in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.The committee’s first meeting will be Sept. 14 in Oklahoma City. The committee is expected to meet at least five times through November.

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“Having suitable health care options in Oklahoma is an issue the Legislature takes very seriously and intends to proactively protect and address through this committee,” said Stanislawski. “Oklahoma patients, taxpayers, businesses, health practitioners, insurers and others all have wide-ranging questions and concerns about this largely unwanted new federal law. The law will affect all Oklahomans, some in significant ways, so this committee will seek to address all relevant questions and concerns for the benefit of all Oklahomans.”
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First, the Oklahoma legislature should study the impact federal health care will have on individuals and businesses. That is prudent considering the sheer magnitude ObamaCare could potentially have on heath care in our state.
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Second, the members of the committee should have been appointed based on the Congressional districts, geographic areas and population of Oklahoma. The twelve members of the committee (eight Republicans and four Democrats) do not include one legislator from southern Oklahoma. Thirty seven percent of Oklahoma’s population lives in rural areas, but for the most part they are not represented on the committee. All of the announced public meetings are scheduled in OKC and Tulsa. http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases.aspx
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Rural Oklahoma has the real health care shortage and yet it appears we are not represented. That is unacceptable.