Originally Published:\u00a0<\/strong>June 29, 2020<\/p>\n Cover Image:<\/strong> Photo by Element5 Digital<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Welcome to The Rundown. This is our place and space within the Limitless Foundation to give you facts, figures, and fancy charts relating to healthcare as it currently exists in the United States. This part of our blog exists to inform the public and bring attention to initiatives, bills, laws, state questions, policies, petitions and much more in the great state of Oklahoma and beyond as we work to fulfill our mission statement and make healthcare accessible for all. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This part of our mission is incredibly timely as there is a State Question on Oklahoma\u2019s Primary Election Ballot on June 30th, 2020 that directly affects healthcare accessibility across the state. Maybe you aren\u2019t sure what a State Question is or why \u201cSQ802\u201d would make an impact on you, Limitless, or the state as a whole, but that is where we come in. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The following blog gives you a \u201cfast fact\u201d and in depth breakdown as well as some external reading sources to help you feel informed as you make your way to the polls to vote in this upcoming election.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 12.1% of black people under age 65 do not have health insurance coverage<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 43.9 percent of non-Hispanic black people in comparison to 33.7 percent of non-Hispanic white people rely on Medicaid or public health insurance<\/a><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n These statistics showcase why it is important that we look to what is happening in healthcare today.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n First, let’s focus on the basics before we delve into all that is SQ802.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n State Questions are measures to change Oklahoma laws or the state constitution that appear on the ballot for all voters. <\/span>They can be added to the ballot by the Legislature or by an initiative petition from citizens.<\/a><\/span> The upcoming State Question is through an <\/span>initiative petition<\/a><\/span>, brought up by citizens who went through a lengthy and arduous process of collecting signatures before the question made the ballot. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The State Question that is going to be on Tuesday\u2019s ballot (referred to from now on as SQ802) was initiated and pushed by the group \u201cYesOn802.\u201d They gathered 313,677 signatures\u2013the most in Oklahoma history\u2013to put Medicaid expansion on the ballot. If you would like more information on how the movement came to be or what work went into making this question on the ballot possible, you can visit their page at <\/span>https:\/\/yeson802.org\/<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n SQ802 is working to expand Medicaid in the state of Oklahoma, and we are one of only 14 states that hasn\u2019t adopted Medicaid Expansion. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This expansion would directly impact 200,000 Oklahomans who currently lack coverage, especially working Oklahomans since the maximum eligibility for a family of 3 is $9,564. The program would allow for increased screenings and prevention programs in addition to access to care. How? Medicaid expansion allows existing Medicaid programs in Oklahoma (currently known as \u201cSoonercare\u201d) to reach more people. Medicaid expansion would help Oklahomans struggling to get by, such as <\/span>individuals making less than $17,000 a year or a family of three making less than $29,000<\/a><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Medicaid is a federally funded program that Oklahomans are already paying towards. With Medicaid expansion and the passage of SQ802, the federal government will pay 90 percent of the cost of the Medicaid expansion population in perpetuity, as specified in federal law. The state of Oklah<\/span>oma will cover the remaining 10 percent; the Legislature will need to specify a funding source for the state share in the 2021 session; multiple funding options are on the table, including <\/span>raising the Supplemental Hospital Offset Payment Program (SHOPP) fee on hospitals, earmarking a share of tobacco settlement revenues, and allocating general revenues<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to data by the Henry J Kaiser Foundation (featured above), 35% of Oklahomans are low income, yet only 18% of them are covered by Medicaid. This has led to a large uninsured population and many people not getting the medical care they need. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Over two million Americans with cancer rely on Medicaid programs for critical treatment and survivorship care<\/a><\/span>. Furthermore, in the state of Oklahoma alone, <\/span>20,000 new patients will be diagnosed with cancer this year<\/a><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The cost of healthcare is <\/span>rising<\/span>, even more so for those with a new cancer diagnosis because of chemotherapy rounds, pharmaceutical products, and numerous hospital visits. <\/span>According to a 2019 survey conducted by The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com, <\/span>63% of cancer patients and loved ones reported financial struggles following a cancer diagnosis<\/a><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Without access to affordable treatment, cancer will continue to remain one of the leading causes of death, as people either<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n (1) find out their diagnoses later when their treatment options are extremely limited or <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n (2) cannot afford the treatment diagnosed by their doctors. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n55.5 percent of black people in comparison to 75.4 percent of white people used private health insurance<\/a><\/span>. <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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What is a State Question? <\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
What exactly <\/span>is<\/span> SQ802?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/wow-image><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nHow would it be funded?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Why is SQ802 important?<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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