By Associated Press
Oklahoma City, OK – OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The head of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority says the new federal health care law would mean 250,000 more Oklahomans would have insurance in 2014.
Mike Fogerty said Thursday that the average cost of the program would be about $63 million a year until 2020. Fogerty says the increase in the number of Oklahomans with health insurance would cut the $1 billion cost of nonpaying patients in half.
The Oklahoma State Medical Association's director of state legislative affairs says he hopes the numbers are correct.
Wes Glinsmann says the issue becomes more complicated with Medicare's 21 percent cut in reimbursement to doctors. He expects doctors will become frustrated and opt out of Medicare, retire early or cut back on their practice.
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Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com