The Christian faith of Hobby Lobby’s sole owners, the Green family, is as ubiquitous as the Christian pop songs on the chain’s satellite radio station. All stores close on Sundays, and full-page newspaper ads quoting scripture have become a tradition on Christian holidays. Mardel, a smaller chain under the same ownership, specializes in Christian merchandise. […]
obamacare
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Enforcing the law
Credit: Brad Gregg Federal officials on March 15 put state Insurance Commissioner John Doak on notice that a second level of health insurance regulation, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will ensure enforcement of the ACA in Oklahoma. The move comes after Doak informed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that […]
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Right-thinking governors
Democrats have been arguing for quite a while that Medicaid expansion is the only fiscally responsible path forward. Now their argument has been endorsed by Kasich, who has impeccable conservative credentials, since he is a former chairman of the House Budget Committee and a former Fox News analyst. Kasich built his political identity arguing for […]
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Whole lotta crazy going on
How about this simple analogy: Republicans, with super majorities in the House and Senate, are like children who suddenly find themselves in a free candy store. They’re gorging. “Will it eventually make them sick?” ask hopeful progressives. Democrats call it a whole lot of crazy going on. “Excuse us,” argue Republicans. “Aren’t we simply fulfilling […]
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The truth of emergency contraception
New rules under the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, require contraception coverage without cost to women as part of basic health care coverage. Despite overwhelming evidence that the ability to plan and space pregnancies critically impacts a woman’s health and the health of her children, many employers, most notably the Oklahoma City-based Hobby […]
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A tax cut to die for
Fallin claims income tax cuts will make us more “competitive,” but our economy (fueled by federal spending and high oil and agriculture prices) grew at the third-highest rate nationally in the past decade. Betting our future on continued high oil prices is the definition of insanity. Texas is ranked No. 1 nationally as a business-friendly […]
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Looking ahead
Speaking before a joint session of the Legislature, Fallin touched on both accomplishments over the past few years as well as some of the initiatives and measures she hopes to implement over the coming year. Among the issues she hopes to see movement on this legislative session are:• a cut of the top state income […]
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Medicaid expansion is affordable, and vital
Under the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, the federal government will pay the lion’s share of the cost for Oklahoma to extend SoonerCare coverage to most uninsured low-income adults. This would provide coverage to about 150,000 residents living near the poverty level. Expanding Medicaid would cut Oklahoma County’s uninsured population nearly in half, with more […]
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Lobby for a loophole
Credit: Brad Gregg The Green family, founders and owners of the OKC-based company, don’t want to provide their employees insurance coverage for birth control — namely the morning-after pill — that they believe is tantamount to abortion. As a result, Hobby Lobby is facing $1.3 million in fines for each day it fails to comply […]
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Health matters
Dr.Fred Loper examines a patient at the Good Shepherd clinic. Credit: Mark Hancock “The end goal is for each person with health care needs to be directed or become a patient at the most appropriate place for them,” said Pam Cross, executive director of The Health Alliance for the Uninsured, a local nonprofit. The network […]