OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Republican Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman shifted his position on Thursday and said the Oklahoma Senate will not consider a bill to help establish a state health insurance exchange, an announcement that surprised Gov. Mary Fallin who just this week urged lawmakers to pass the bill.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Bingman said the House-passed measure won't be heard, warning that the lure of $54 million in federal grant money could lead the state into a "trap" of complying with the new federal health care law.
"We're concerned about actually falling into the trap … of adopting the Obamacare, which is really what we're against," said Bingman, R-Sapulpa. "If we can put together a private exchange that's separate from that without using the federal dollars — using state dollars, using private funds — find out what the cost would be to implement something like that."
Bingman's sudden announcement appeared to expose a rift among Republicans, who control both chambers of the Legislature and the governor's office for the first time in state history. Many Republicans campaigned last year on their opposition to the federal health care plan, and a state ballot question in November designed to allow the state to opt out of the federal health care plan passed with nearly 65 percent of the vote.
Just last month, Bingman released a joint statement with Fallin and House Speaker Kris Steele saying he supported the federal grant and that the exchange "empowers Oklahomans with those free-market tools."
The state was awarded a $54 million federal grant to set up the information technology infrastructure for a health insurance exchange that identifies health insurance plans offered in the state, what they cover and how much they cost. The House bill would create an advisory board to implement the exchange.
Bingman said he did not discuss his change of position with Fallin, who said Thursday she was "disappointed that the president pro tem has made a sudden announcement that he's not willing to hear the House bill."
Fallin, a Republican, said she debated and voted against the federal health care bill while serving in Congress, and that she's joined with Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the provisions that require individuals to buy health insurance.
"My hope is that the federal health care bill will either be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court or that Congress might take up legislation to repeal it and replace it with other free-market health care reform initiatives," Fallin said. "But whether that happens or not, the federal health care bill is still the law of the land."
If Oklahoma fails to take action to establish its own health insurance exchange, Fallin warned the federal government will impose its own system on the state.
"I don't think it's helpful to the state of Oklahoma not to have a plan in place," Fallin said. "I also think it puts us on a dangerous path of the Obama administration being able to come in and force a federal exchange on our state."
Fallin said the state has not yet received the first installment of the federal funds, but both she and Speaker Steele disagreed with Bingman's suggestion that the state not accept the money.
"I would respectfully disagree," said Steele, R-Shawnee, who wrote the House bill. "(The bill) was drafted so that the state of Oklahoma could take the lead in developing an infrastructure that meets the needs of our citizens based on the principles that we believe in. If we don't do anything, then the federal government, according to the current law, will come in and establish exchanges for states based on their criteria. We want to guard against that."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
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