- Take a comprehensive approach for improving the health of
Oklahomans by coordinating prevention and care.
- The Legislature should increase the tobacco tax by at least
50 cents per pack and use the money to help pay for a comprehensive cancer
center and a strong statewide trauma system.
- In addition, the increased revenue
should be used (1) to leverage additional federal Medicaid matching funds
for premium assistance for qualified families to enable them and their
employers to purchase basic health care coverage and (2) as a rate adjustment
incentive to doctors who provide care for these persons.
- The Legislature
should design programs and provide tax incentives to businesses for establishing
or continuing wellness programs that reduce health costs and boost employee
productivity.
Personal health—from wellness, to access, to care—is
integral to the economic well-being of a community. Oklahoma has a number
of significant challenges including alarming rates of obesity, tobacco
usage, Type II diabetes and high numbers of medically uninsured. If our
state is to be economically successful, all Oklahomans—whether they
live in urban or rural areas—must
be healthy. To achieve this goal, the state must take a comprehensive
and coordinated approach toward preventing poor health and providing
health care when it is needed.
