The Chamber further opposes legislation that would interfere with an employers’ ability to offer affordable health benefits due to a reduced ability to control benefit plans relating to prescription drugs. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INSURANCE SECURITY ACT (ERISA) PROTECTIONS The Chamber opposes legislative efforts to undermine federal ERISA protections MEDICAL EDUCATION FUNDING The Chamber supports maintaining physician training funding for the state’s two largest medical schools in the base budgets of the University Hospitals Authority and Oklahoma State University Medical Authority. PHYSICIAN AND NURSING SHORTAGE/RURAL AND UNDERSERVED ACCESS The Chamber supports the following initiatives to address health care disparities: 1) incentivizing the recruitment and retention of primary care physicians, specialty physicians and allied health professionals in rural, underserved and other areas; 2) expanding residency programs for the state’s medical schools; and 3) strengthening the health care workforce by expanding programs that train medical professionals. The Chamber supports efforts to identify new funding streams dedicated to these initiatives.
The Chamber also supports the appropriate expansion of technology platforms (such as telemedicine and telehealth) and data platforms to enhance access to health care for Oklahomans. TOBACCO SETTLEMENT ENDOWMENT TRUST (TSET) The Chamber supports the constitutional provisions of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) to support the public health of Oklahomans. APPROPRIATIONS SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS The Chamber supports adequate state funding for community health centers to provide quality health care to underserved Oklahomans, prevent cost shifting to other entities and maintain a healthy workforce for Oklahoma employers. HEALTH CARE FUNDING The Chamber supports protecting existing health care revenue and opposes cuts to the state Medicaid budget that would increase the burden of uncompensated care and shift costs to employers and health care providers. The Chamber further supports a stable funding and tax structure for the health care industry to promote optimal care delivery and innovation.
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