Oklahoma No. 1 in Increased Medicaid Coverage of Children

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- A report released last month by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured indicates that Oklahoma has increased the number of uninsured children covered by Medicaid more than any state in the nation.
According to The Kaiser Commission, a philanthropic group that deals with national health issues, Oklahoma increased the number of children covered by Medicaid by 39.1 percent during a 31-month period between June 1997 and December 1999. This is more than the percentage increases for Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and Arkansas combined.

"I believe the increase in the number of children enrolled in SoonerCare is a result of the Department of Human Services hiring some 47 Medicaid outreach workers last year," said Carolyn Bryan, Associate Director, OKDHS Field Operations. "These workers have trained countless consumer advocates throughout Oklahoma on how to complete the SoonerCare application. They have attended health fairs, school enrollments and any event where families congregate to inform them about SoonerCare and to get kids enrolled. It’s been a win-win situation for our agency and the people we serve."

SoonerCare uses the State’s Medicaid managed care programs to expand health care coverage to uninsured children and expectant mothers. To be eligible, children must have been born on or after October 1, 1983. Expectant mothers will be eligible if they have a family income at or below 185 percent of Federal Poverty Level, which for a family of three means a gross annual income of more than $26,180.

To find out if you or your child is eligible for SoonerCare, call 1-800-987-7767, your local county Department of Human Services, or visit us at /content/sok-wcm/en/okdhs.

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