State Tax Refund Donations Help Oklahomans Who Can't Afford Health Care

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- Oklahomans have the opportunity to give while receiving when filing their state taxes this year. For those receiving a state tax refund, by marking a 2 and a dollar amount on line 37, Oklahomans can donate to the Low Income Health Care Fund, which helps fund health care services for low-income families.
“One hundred percent of the donations are distributed to the indigent health care clinics that provide services to Oklahomans who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid,” said Debra Souther, who manages the fund through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

More than 700,000 Oklahomans live without medical insurance.

“The Low Income Health Care Fund helps ensure Oklahomans, especially the elderly and children, receive general medical and dental care,” said Souther.

OKDHS has administered the fund since 1987. According to Souther, however, the donations have dwindled year by year. The fund received more than $95,000 in 1992. In 2005, donations totaled $29,000.

“Although the fund is small compared to the need, without the donations many children would have had much more serious and costly medical and dental problems,” said Souther.

Health care clinics serving Oklahomans without medical insurance offer general medical care, maternity services, including prenatal and post-partum care, dental services, including preventative and restorative care, pediatric services, including well-child check-ups and immunizations, as well as other services, such as laboratory testing, x-rays, vision screening and hearing screening. Health care clinics that serve 51 percent of patients needing indigent care qualify for funds.

“Most of the clinics couldn’t provide the services that they do for families if physicians, dentists, nurses and other health care professionals weren’t volunteering time from their regular practices to help at these clinics,” said Souther.

For more information about the Low Income Health Care Fund or to make a donation, contact Debra Souther at (405) 521-2313.

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