Sen. David Bullard demands action from Oklahoma’s managed care organizations to resolve significant provider reimbursement delays

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, held a press conference at the state Capitol on Wednesday to give medical providers and Medicaid recipients an opportunity to talk about the serious challenges they’re facing because of the state transitioning to Medicaid managed care.

Bullard said that since the Oklahoma Health Care Authority switched to Medicaid managed care for medical coverage in April, he’s heard from numerous health care providers who have not been reimbursed or who have been reimbursed next to nothing for seeing Medicaid patients.

Dr. Kinion Whittington, a longtime OB-GYN in Durant, said during the press conference that prior to managed care, the Health Care Authority typically reimbursed him within three days. Whittington said now months have passed and most of his Medicaid claims haven’t been paid out by the managed care organizations. Several health care providers stressed the situation could force them to stop seeing Medicaid patients or force them to close their doors permanently.

Bullard said the managed care organizations contracted with the state need to act quickly to resolve the issues that are delaying provider reimbursements.

“Today’s press conference highlighted firsthand the health care crisis managed care has created in our state,” Bullard said. “These managed care organizations must put in the overtime to communicate with our providers and pay them what they are owed so health care professionals can focus on seeing patients. Consistency and accountability are the order of the day for Oklahoma’s health care providers to survive this transition.”

Bullard stressed that the problems with managed care are affecting health care providers across the state. But they could have an outsized impact on rural Oklahoma, where the health care system is already fragile because of a limited number of medical professionals, he said.

Bullard also urged health care providers who are having Medicaid billing issues as a result of managed care to contact their state lawmakers, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the managed care organizations contracted with the state.

“Without swift and decisive action, we will watch our health care providers leave Oklahoma, to the detriment of all our residents,” Bullard said. “I am watching closely how the Health Care Authority and the managed care organizations respond to this call to action.

“To my providers in the state, do not stay quiet. Hold us accountable for our failures. Thank you for the care you provide Oklahomans.”

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For more information, contact: Sen. David Bullard at (405) 521-5586 or David.Bullard@oksenate.gov