HEALTH
Senator Clark Jolley: He says that the States can do a better job managing the funds.
Proponents say that it is a more flexible, less bureaucratic alternative to the President Barack Obama health care initiatives.
Opponents say that it is a chimera that seeks to tinker with mechanism for political reasons the country's health care financing.
The month last Governor Mary Fallin signed legislation to join the compact. So far, the Georgia is the only other State to join. Several States are considering members, including Texas and Missouri.
If it is approved by Congress, the plan transform most federal funding of health block grants to States, which would be free to set their policies on how the money would be spent.
"Rather than the Federal Government with the administration of a large bureaucratic system nightmare, what we are seeking to do is join with other States, in the creation of a regional health care delivery system," said Senator Clark Jolley, R.-Edmond, Oklahoma compact author of the legislation.
Governments are more sensitive to the needs of citizens and are more efficient with money, Jolley said.
"I think Oklahoma wants to be in the field of the administration of health care, but it is preferable to Federal Government administer health care", Jolley said. "It is one of those situations where you have the possibility to put your head in the sand and do nothing in response to the Federal Government (health care Act), or you can try to find solutions and alternative solutions to try to provide a different option that can be better and better the State".
Opponents of the proposal say that Congress will never agree to the plan.
In the House of the State of the debate on the proposal in April, ABR. Scott Inman, D - Oklahoma City, said that he would have the related proposal so that he could put it between copies of the daughter of "Winnie the Pooh" and "Cinderella".
"This is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen," said Inman. "This is a bad law." It will never become effective. ... The Federal Government will never grant us this authority. It has never been in the past. ... Not this is going to do now. »
Rep. Richard Morrissette, D - Oklahoma City, said that the proposal unnecessary tinkering with system of funding of the health of the nation because its supporters do not like the President Barack Obama.
"You can all hate the President, that you want to." You can politicize that what you want. But changes in our law thanks to dislike or belief policy or emotion is not the right way to go on the amendment of our Constitution, he said.
Eric O'Keefe, Chairman of the national organization for pushing the proposal, said that Oklahomans would do better to determine how to distribute health spending.
"I believe that the people of Oklahoma, through their legislature, would do a better job than the federal bureaucracy," he said. "Take care of our people is not something to be delegated to folks 1,500 miles away."
"The question for Oklahomans, it is you are better off taxed and send your money to Washington and do come back with strings on it, or just keep and the performer internally."
O'Keefe said he figures, need you approximately 20 legislatures of State accepting the compact to force the issue to Congress. That could happen as early as March, even though it may take another Congress election cycle for the votes to be there.
If the proposal is approved by the Congress, each Member State shall approve the compact again.
He said that no comparable example is a program funded by the Federal Government which leaves so many details to States.
"This is a very ambitious proposal, deliberately so", he said. "It would be a huge departure from power and the money from the Federal Government." It would only occur under the political and financial constraints.
"The financial hardship comes, regardless what we do." The political pressure that we're working with folks local to create, "said O'Keefe.
If it is approved by Congress, the compact would mean federal funding for health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid would be sent to the States as block grants.
States would be guaranteed as much funding they received in 2010 adjusted annually for inflation and population changes.
States would be released by federal regulation of health, including the federal initiative to health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the restrictions on drugs. States could agree to follow federal laws or design their own systems.
Veterans Affairs hospitals and Indian health care facilities would not be affected by the change.
Original Print Headline: Health compact age-old faces
Wayne Greene 918-581-8308Wayne.Greene@tulsaworld.com
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