Folks Need Health Care-- Even In Deep Red Oklahoma

OK, let's get back to where we left off at the 6AM post this morning-- the warning FDR gave us about GOP intentions. Except this time let's home in on healthcare. In fact let's home in on one very red state, Oklahoma and one congressional election in that state, the one that pits right wing extremist James Lankford against progressive Democrat Tom Guild in the Oklahoma City area. This is the most difficult race Blue America has taken on for the 2014 cycle. The district has a PVI of R+12 and Guild is anything but a Republican-lite Blue Dog. He's an outspoken advocate of single-payer, universal health care and would like to see Medicare expanded for anyone who wants to buy into it. Lankford, part of Boehner's House leadership, voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act over 40 times and would love to repeal Social Security, the minimum wage, Medicare and every other aspect of the New Deal that made America into a middle class country. Last year (and in 2008) Obama lost the district 59-41%-- easily his best showing anywhere in the state, which gave Romney a 67-33% win over the president.

The extreme right, ALEC-dominated state legislature actually made it illegal for anyone to work to implement the AffordableCare Act! And yet, Oklahoma is a state where Obamacare can have a dramatic impact on the well-being of huge numbers of people. This is from a study the White House released yesterday about what effects repealing Obamacare, which is what Lanfkord has voted to do over and over and over, would be on this one state. "Helping ordinary Americans and businesses take advantage of the benefits of the health care law is a top priority for the President and Democrats in Congress," begins the report. "The Affordable Care Act does more than just give millions of uninsured Americans access to health insurance. It helps Americans who already have insurance feel more secure in their coverage, ensuring it'll be there when they need it. This is a pocketbook issue for many middle class families. In Oklahoma, the benefits of the health care law are real, and the repeal plan pushed by Republicans in Congress would undermine or eliminate them across the board, reversing critical consumer protections and driving up costs for millions of Americans. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, in Oklahoma:

• 811,000 individuals on private insurance have gained coverage for at least one free preventive health care service such as a mammogram, birth control, or an immunization in 2011 and 2012. In the first eleven months of 2013 alone, an additional 358,200 people with Medicare have received at least one preventive service at no out of pocket cost.

• The up to 1,579,000 individuals with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, cancer, or diabetes-- including up to 218,000 children-- will no longer have to worry about being denied coverage or charged higher prices because of their health status or history.

• Approximately 774,000 Oklahomans have gained expanded mental health and substance use disorder benefits and/or federal parity protections.

• 647,000 uninsured Oklahomans will have new health insurance options through Medicaid or private health plans in the Marketplace.

• As a result of new policies that make sure premium dollars work for the consumer, not just the insurer, in the past year insurance companies have sent rebates averaging $92 per family to approximately 273,700 consumers.

• In the first ten months of 2013, 43,800 seniors and people with disabilities have saved on average $855 on prescription medications as the health care law closes Medicare’s so-called “donut hole.”

• 49,000 young adults have gained health insurance because they can now stay on their parents’ health plans until age 26.

• Individuals no longer have to worry about having their health benefits cut off after they reach a lifetime limit on benefits, and starting in January, 1,197,000 Oklahomans will no longer have to worry about annual limits, either.

• Health centers have received $61,585,000 to provide primary care, establish new sites, and renovate existing centers to expand access to quality health care. Oklahoma has approximately 85 health center sites, which served about 148,000 individuals in 2012.

The report also points out that Oklahoma Republicans in Congress like Lankford, "instead of working to fix the law… have tried and failed to repeal it more than 40 times. Repealing the law completely would raise premiums, allow discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, force women to pay for preventive services like mammograms, and eliminate discounts seniors get on prescription drugs. It’s time for Republicans in Congress to stop refighting old political battles over health care, because the real cost of repeal will hit home for many hardworking families in Oklahoma."

As Tom Guild reminded us this morning, "Lankford has done virtually nothing in his three years in Congress.  He has cast meaningless votes approximately 45 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He has also voted twice to defeat the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which protects women from domestic violence… He did take the time to complain that his health care coverage costs more under the ACA. He didn’t mention that taxpayers pay for his and his families’ health care coverage. If you are not an extremist on social issues, or can’t afford to give the maximum donation to his campaign, it seems you don’t exist in Lankford’s world. He needs to go back to the private sector and hobnob at close quarters back home with some of his big donors. The voters in CD5 will make that a reality in November 2014."

If you'd like to help replace Lankford with Tom Guild, you can do that at the Blue America ActBlue page here.