• Heartland Flyer - The Chamber supports achieving long-term funding stability for passenger rail service, known as “The Heartland Flyer”, connecting Oklahoma City with Fort Worth, Texas. Our objective is to work with governmental partners to identify stable, long-term funding sources to mitigate scenarios where continued service is threatened by the current precarious and unsustainable year-to-year funding timetable. - Furthermore, the Chamber supports continued efforts to aggressively pursue federal funding opportunities that, if awarded, would connect Oklahoma City to the national rail network via Newton, Kansas. The Chamber will continue to take active steps in partnership with Federal entities, the Oklahoma Legislature, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Congressional Delegation, specific communities, Texas, and Kansas to capitalize on opportunities emanating from Oklahoma’s selection as part of the “Corridor ID” program set forth in the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021). Healthcare and Life Sciences Priorities • Develop Statewide Solutions to Funding Losses in Medicaid - The Chamber opposes the Medicaid coverage reductions proposed in H.R. 1, as these cuts would lead to insufficient access to care due to decreases in a facility’s resources (particularly in rural and underserved areas) and impose significant costs on Oklahoma City’s business community. Reduced coverage would shift financial burdens onto employers and employees through higher insurance premiums and increased uncompensated care. - The Chamber also opposes any federal action that undermines healthcare reforms enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature to improve population health and address workforce challenges.
- The Chamber supports state and federal leaders in advancing alternative and sustainable policy solutions that protect recent healthcare gains and strengthen long-term stability for Oklahoma employers, workers, and consumers. • Research and Development - The Chamber supports efforts to foster a federal policy environment that is conducive to further research and will oppose efforts to unreasonably restrict the continued development of national bioscience and research programs. • Protecting Networks/Opposing Mandates - The Chamber opposes legislation, restrictions, regulations and taxes that would reduce or eliminate incentives for medical providers to contract with managed care networks and, as a result, frustrate efforts at cost and quality control and deny consumers the benefits of cost- reducing arrangements with providers. - The Chamber further opposes legislation that would interfere with an employer’s ability to offer affordable health benefits by limiting plan design flexibility, including the management of prescription drug benefits. - The Chamber opposes new health insurance mandates and liabilities imposed on employers that undermine their ability to provide quality health insurance to employees at a reasonable cost. - The Chamber further opposes new mandates placed on physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers that increase the cost of delivering quality healthcare in Oklahoma.
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