Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: February 11, 2009
Senator Andrew Rice
Bill to Include Veterans in State's O-EPIC
Program Approved
As many as 26,000 Oklahoma veterans are uninsured,
but that could soon change thanks to the efforts of State Sen.
Andrew Rice.
The Oklahoma City Democrat’s legislation, Senate Bill 59,
was unanimously approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
“This is an issue that can’t be ignored any longer.
Most people believe that veterans automatically qualify for free
health care, but they don’t. Many make too much to qualify
for Medicaid or means-tested VA care, but don’t make enough
to pay for private insurance,” said Rice. “It’s
shameful, we have men and women who have risked their lives for
our country who don’t have adequate access to healthcare,
but hopefully we can get this problem fixed this session.”
Senate Bill 59 would expand the Oklahoma Employer/Employee Partnership
for Insurance Coverage Program (O-EPIC), also known as the Insure
Oklahoma program, to include certain qualified veterans. Veterans
would be included under the Individual Plan of the program, which
currently provides coverage to more than 5,200 Oklahomans.
“These individuals deserve our utmost respect for their
service. Our words and actions often fall short in conveying our
tremendous gratitude to our veterans,” said Rice. “I
think the least we can do for them is ensure that they have adequate
health care. The costs that would be incurred to the state cannot
even be compared to the sacrifices of our soldiers.”
Like other participants in the Individual Plan,
veterans would pay a portion of their monthly premiums based on
their annual household income. For individuals, this can be up
to $51 or around $69 for an individual and a spouse.
In order to qualify, a veteran would have to be an Oklahoma resident
between the ages of 19 and 64 with a household income no greater
than the sum of an amount equal to 25 percent of the federal poverty
level or an amount equal to the federal Veterans Health Administration
means test income threshold when entering the program. The person
could not be on active duty or have been dishonorably discharged
from service. The individual would also have had to been uninsured
for at least six months unless the person lost coverage because
his or her military post-active duty benefits expired or the individual
lost his or her employee-sponsored plan due to being laid off
or the employer no longer offered the benefits.
For more information contact:
Sen. Rice's Office: 405-521-5610
