Oklahoma federal lawmakers involved in health care policy

Mr. Lankford participated in the Senate Finance Committee’s pursuit of UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Whitty. UnitedHealth and Witty have been criticized for their responses to data breaches that caused widespread service outages.

Lankford took his time.But it’s to tell Whitty how hard people in rural Oklahoma are having a hard time getting access to Medicare Advantage, with UnitedHealth as their provider.

Unlike traditional Medicare, which is fee-for-service based, Advantage plans are essentially preferred provider networks managed by private companies such as UnitedHealth.

Lankford said doctors and hospitals are opting out of Medicare Advantage due to lower reimbursements and red tape. He said prior authorization requirements are preventing patients from receiving necessary tests and treatments.

Mullin is one of the bipartisan sponsors of a bill that would allow state Medicaid programs to enter into so-called value-based purchasing agreements for patients with rare diseases.

VBP, as it is known, ties provider payments to patient outcomes with the purpose of incentivizing more expensive treatments if better outcomes are achieved. In a capitalized or piecework system, the incentive is to keep costs as low as possible, regardless of the outcome.

“Value-based purchasing will better align our health care system towards patient care,” Marin said in a press release. “Traditional payment methods, such as pricing and fee-for-service, limit innovation and competition and put many treatments out of reach. By tying treatment costs to patient outcomes, VBP arrangements Patients with rare diseases have access to life-saving treatment options without placing financial liability on patients or healthcare systems for ineffective treatments.”

Med check 2: First District Rep. Kevin Hahn, who also works in health policy, signed a bill that removes the in-person requirement for behavioral health services provided remotely.

The argument for removing the requirement that telemedicine patients receive some form of in-person treatment is to expand access.

The counter argument is that it may encourage a decline in the quality of care.

“We have learned a lot during the pandemic, and one of the big lessons is that telehealth services have greatly increased access to care for all communities,” Hahn told Press stated in a release. “It is clear that maintaining in-person requirements for telebehavioral health visits impedes access to care.”

Not satisfied: Hahn criticized President Joe Biden’s veto of the Congressional Review Act bill to override the National Labor Relations Board’s rules on franchising.

The ruling, which requires franchisors to share responsibility with franchisees and negotiate with labor unions for labor violations, is opposed by Hahn and other franchise advocates.

Hahn said the veto is “a slap in the face to hardworking Americans” and “goes against the demands of thousands of American small business owners and franchisees.”

Hahn claims similar rules enacted during the Obama administration cost 376,000 jobs.

“This rule is a threat to the franchise model that helped me and thousands of other Americans achieve the American Dream,” he said. said Hahn, who was a successful franchisee.

Biden vetoed the bill, saying the current system makes it virtually impossible for franchise employees to organize.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is challenging this rule in court.

Campus riot: Lankford said. news nation Protests at Columbia University and elsewhere appeared to be motivated by more than anger over the Gaza crisis.

“We need to recognize every student’s right to free speech, but we also have to recognize their right to attend class unintimidated and unharmed,” Lankford said. “What we’ve seen is a huge rise in anti-Semitism. It’s not just disagreement over the current war in Gaza or Hamas’ attack on Israel. It really changed to a different attitude.”

Don’t touch: On the other hand, Marin told Fox News The United States should let Israel do whatever it deems necessary regarding Hamas, and obviously Gaza.

“We have nothing to say to Israel other than take care of our own backyard,” he said.

Mr. Marin equated Hamas’ attack on Israel with the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.

“Israel has the right to defend itself,” he said. “It is absolutely wrong for the United States to apply any pressure other than full support.

“If Israel lays down its arms today, Hamas will not stop fighting. If Hamas lays down its arms, Israel will stop fighting too. And it will continue to do so. Hamas will not stop fighting against Israel. No one believes that.”

In vitro fertilization: 2nd district councilor Called by Josh Brecheen Increased scrutiny and regulation of IVF has led to clinics becoming cavalier about the number of embryos created and destroyed, suggesting that they may be practicing a form of ‘eugenics’.

“Clinics are not required to disclose the total number of embryos they create, the number of embryos they store indefinitely, or the number of embryos they discard and why,” Brechen said in a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. . “Amazingly, clinics are not even required to disclose statistics on the application of genetic screening, even though more than 70% of fertility clinics use genetic screening for sex selection.”

Brechen said some clinics can select embryos with specific eye colors for implantation, and said he was concerned that similar screening could be done for other traits. .

“How many embryos are tested each year for sex selection, genetic abnormalities, and physical characteristics such as eye, skin, and hair color?” Brechen asked. “How many embryos are destroyed each year after undergoing genetic testing?”

Weather warning: Two days after 38 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, the U.S. House of Representatives passed 3rd District Rep. Frank Lucas’ weather reauthorization bill, which includes research and development forecasting.

“I cannot overstate the importance of investing in our nation’s weather systems,” House Science Committee Chairman Lucas said in a press release. “The tornadoes that occurred over the weekend “This serves as a reminder of the need to invest in early weather systems.” Accurate prediction of severe weather. And that applies not only to emergencies, but also to our daily lives, from deciding what to wear in the morning to efficiently planning when to plant crops. ”

Dots and dashes: The House passed the bill, co-sponsored by 5th District Rep. Stephanie Biss and sponsored by Lucas, and sent it to the Senate. This was aimed at identifying abandoned oil and gas wells and remediating the environmental hazards they pose. … Lankford voiced opposition to the administration’s proposal to resettle Gaza refugees in the United States… Marin asked Army leaders about the prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injuries in Special Forces members. …Lucas complained that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy was not achieving its five-year STEM education plan.