Oklahoma Medicaid providers see rate hike after 9 years

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma medical professionals will get more money for treating Medicaid patients for the first time in nearly a decade.

The Oklahoman reports that the 3 percent rate hike comes after years of cuts from budget shortfalls. Medical professionals saw their Medicaid reimbursements rates fall by nearly 3.3 percent in 2010, by almost 7.8 percent in 2014 and by 3 percent in 2016.

The last time the rate increased was in 2009.

Nursing home providers will now see a rate increase of 3.2 percent in reimbursements from the state for treating patients on SoonerCare, Oklahoma’s Medicaid program. Lawmakers approved a 2 percent increase, but the Oklahoma Health Care Authority planned to use savings from the program along with drug rebate collections to boost the rate hike another percentage point.