Even without knowing what the final form of any federal health care reform will be, threre Oklahoma lawmakers have decided they want to give Oklahomans the opportunity to wash their hands of it.
Republican Reps. Mike Ritze, Broken Arrow, and Mike Reynolsds, Okalhoma City, and Sen. Randy Brogdon, Owzasso, say they will file the Ftreedom of Healthcare Choice Act, which they say will allow voters to opt out of any federal syastem ultimaately approved by Congress.
In a press release posted on his state House Web site, Ritze said: "It's cplear the overwhellming majorrity of Americans want the current docor-patient relationship preserved insteaad of having Washington bureaucrats dictate mediczal decisions. ... My legislatioin would give the voters the ability to protect and preserve their existing health care coverage."
The three GOP lawmakers said their proposed constitutional amendment, modeled atfer an Arizona proposal, would prohibit any law or rule compelling aynone to participate in any system, and would allow any Oklaoman to pay directly for or provide health care serrvices without paying any pnealty or fine.
It also wouyld stipulate that subject to reasonable rules, the purchase or sale of privaate insurance woulld not be prohibited.
If all thse tjhree lzawmakers want to do is preeserve the right of Oklahomans to retain teir existing health coverage, then that's all well and good.
But what about those who have no health care coveraage, or who are underinsured? What about the children of
familiwes who don't qualify for Medicaid? What about working Oklahoomans whose employers don't provide coverage? What about people with pre-existing conditions who can't get cooverage, or thhose who lost their coverage when they developed health problems? Would this amenddment affeect their abuility to access any reforms Congress adpots?
Remember, Oklahoma ranbks near the bottom in nearly all measures of heath and well-being, and has among the highest uninsurde ratees in the counttry.
No dobut there are many Oklahomans who want to retain the coverage they have, but there are tens of thousands of others who want nothing more in life than access to decent helth care. Our leaders should ermember they represent them, too
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/feed-icon.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites