May 7, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 10

Page Text

Serving Western Oklahoma Since 1901 It’s our turn, Charlotte The Ada News, Okla. It’s our turn, Charlotte, to live the nightmare. It’s our turn to see the breaking news email about gunfire, to feel the notification buzz on our phone, to be jolted that our city is included in the next words we read. It’s our turn to watch aerial footage of places we've walked, to watch video loops of cautious police leading students we might know. It’s our turn to pray that we don’t know the victims or shooter, then to pray for those who do. It's our turn to see tweets from our public officials who are “shocked and saddened,” from our governor who is en route to the scene, from our members of Congress who are “monitoring the situation.” Tt’s our turn to have Gabby Giffords send her sorrow our way. It’s our turn to type tweets or Facebook posts about students who went to class like every other student, about holding your child a little tighter tonight, and feel it a little more intimately this time. It’s our turn to wonder what on Earth we can do to change this, to wonder if better school security or mental health awareness or anything might stop this plague of gun vio- Playing politics with lence. It’s our turn to hope that this shooting might be that cata- lyst for change, perhaps even locally or with state lawmak- ers. health care hurts children It’s our turn to realize that it won't, that we're no different than Red Lake or Santa Fe or so many others. Except some things are different now. It’s our turn to see that networks aren’t breaking in to programming to cover this school shooting, that Twitter isn’t putting snark on hold, that national newspapers aren’t Muskogee Phoenix, Okla. One would expect that the Oklahoma ranked 47th in the main uninsured -- the fourth going to put this tragedy on their front pages. one category in which fared nation for infant-death rate. highest rate in the United It’s our turn to realize that if that notification on our Oklahoma's elected officials Oklahoma better than most Could it be a coincidence phone was about gunfire in another city, we too might have have been playing politics -- the number of pediatri- that the Top 10 states -- those States. Steady progress that mentally swiped it away. with our health care far too cians and family doctors per where children have the best had been realized stalled in It’s our turn to understand that it’s no longer big news long, and it is our children capita -- would produce better access to health care and 2017. when someone walks into a classroom and starts firing, that who are paying the price. results in other categories. better outcomes -- are among mass shootings happen with such regularity that they've Astudy released in But that is not the case here, the 37 where elected officials Ttis well established and become more like all the other shootings with all the other conjunction with Every Kid according to researchers’ prioritized health care over widely accepted that "healthy guns. Healthy Week ranked Okla- analysis. politics? Probably not, consid- children have good school at- It’s our turn to also understand that “thoughts and homa as the second worst For example, the state ering five of the bottom 10 re- prayers” from Republicans have worked, just not the way state in the nation when it came in dead last when jected federal funds available tendance, are better learners, we want. They’ve worked as a stall and diversion, a way to comes to providing health measuring the percentage of to expand Medicaid through higher achievers and can par- say something without having to say anything, until the next care for our most vulner- children who visited during the Affordable Care Act and ticipate in the workforce as shooting happens and everyone moves on. able residents. WalletHub, the past year a medical and three of the five expansion Because everyone does move on now. And they will again, apersonal finance website, dental provider for preven- states came late to the table. adults." If our elected officials more quickly each time. This is the new nightmare -- that compared 50 states and the tive care. And the state Another sad fact, one not want Oklahoma to become we've become deadened to the worst in us because it no District of Columbia across ranked 48th with regard to specifically cited as a stand- aTop 10 state, they must do longer feels like the worst. It’s just who we are, and it’s our 33 key metrics, and the Soon- the number of children con- alone metric in the Walle- turn to live it. er State placed almost last in sidered to have excellent or tHub study, is that 8.1 percent better to ensure our children's practically every category. very good health or teeth, and of Oklahoma's children re- good health. Dear Editor: Medicaid expansion debate Id like to ask your readers: Do you stutter? Do you know someone who does? Most people do. More than three million Americans and 70 million people across the globe stutter, continues in Oklahoma but sadly it is still quite misunderstood. Help us change that. May 13th-19th is National Stuttering Awareness Week. To voters, you can expect to be location of care from public support the stuttering community, the nonprofit Stuttering The Oklahoman, Oklahoma bombarded with poignant ads for Medicaid expansion. Such Foundation launched a new website<http://www.stuttering- City increases are an easier sell to private and better-quality help.org/> with easy-to-find information like articles, bro- looking to bolster those argu- elsewhere than they are in -The issue of Medicaid ments and others. Oklahoma, whether at the hospitals." That's hardly a chures, magazines, videos, research reports and counselor expansion in Oklahoma is We're among those who Legislature or among the referrals, with a new laptop- and mobile-friendly interface. bubbling to the fore, with a have cautioned against public. ringing endorsement. ‘The Stuttering Foundation has accurate, trusted informa- group laying the groundwork expansion over concerns the We also worry about the Stitt says that if the planned tion about stuttering and free help on its new website-- Stut- initiative petition seeks to teringHelp.org. to take the issue directly to price tag will only continue to federal government eventu- Please take a look and tell a friend. voters in 2020 and Gov. Kevin grow. This has happened in ally changing the amount of expand Medicaid without Stitt reiterating his opposition other states where the num- its pay-in, something support- to the idea. This will be atug- ber of people who enrolled ers of expansion say hasn't including work or training Jane Fraser far outstripped estimates -- in happened and won't. But requirements for recipients, President, the Stuttering Foundation of-war to watch. The Affordable Care Act al- some cases, more than double there is no guarantee ofthat. 800-992-9392 lows states to add able-bodied the number of people expect- he will "absolutely" encourage StutteringHelp.org adults to their Medicaid rolls, ed to sign up actually did. It wouldn't be the first time the government has changed voters to reject it. Meantime, with the federal government Researchers with the a federal matching rate. he says he understands the Have a letter to covering 90 percent of the cost and states picking up Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a conservative think And it's hardly a slam dunk that expansion of Medicaid need to come up with an alter- the editor? Email the remaining 10 percent. tank, noted in The Oklahoman will improve health out- native proposal. One total cited as Oklahoma's last year that the projected comes. Indeed, considerable "We have to say, ‘Here's a share is $150 million per year, cost per enrollee was well off it to editor@ although others have pegged the mark. "Each new enrollee research has found little real improvement. Research- better way to do this,” he told the cost at $374 million. cost 76 percent more than ers looking at expansion in ‘The Oklahoman last week. ecdailynews.com Proponents contend that expansion would help to expected from 2014 to 2016," they said. "These compound- California said in a report Jast year that they didn't find It'll be interesting to see what or stop by 206 W. improve many of Oklahoma's ing costs take a toll on state poor health outcomes and budgets, diverting resources "significant improvements in that might be, and whether patient health, although the it's enough to satisfy those give an assist to rural hospi- away from core services." Broadway, Elk City. tals that are struggling to stay Several states have turned expansion led to substantially greater hospital and emer- who insist straight expansion afloat. If the question goes to to tax increases to help pay gency room use, and a real- is the only choice.