A couple of weeks ago, we talked about a program that was meant to help shorten the Medicaid waiver list. Right now, that list has an estimated 7,500 people waiting to learn if the state will help pay for the essential needs of many these people need. However, we’ve had little information on the program meant to shorten this list. Well, there has been an update, but it’s a good news/bad news type of situation.
Is Oklahoma’s New Healthcare Portal the Answer to the Medicaid Waiver List?
So, here’s the bad news. Oklahoma’s program to reduce the disabilities waitlist has not rolled out yet. Lawmakers are working with developers to make an online solution for Oklahomans who need the state’s help. However, the portal’s first phase isn’t expected to be ready until the end of 2017.
The good news is that this portal is expected to streamline the waiver list in a new and unique way. Many states have Medicaid waiver lists like Oklahoma’s, but our state’s lawmakers want a faster and more intelligent solution for our system. The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel for Developmental Disabilities researched the problem by communicating with the community. They believe that the state already offers many of the services that the people on the waiver list need. So, these people don’t need to be on the wait list, they need to be directed to the proper state service.
This is where the online portal comes into play. It will be the first stop for every Oklahoman who needs the state’s healthcare services. It will be interactive, user-friendly, and it will also allow families facing similar difficulties to connect and help one another.
Once the first phase is rolled out in 2017, a second phase is anticipated in 2018. The second phase will help prescreen applicants for Medicaid and disability waivers. Do you think this online portal will help reduce Oklahoma’s long Medicaid waiver list? Do you think the portal will work as well as lawmakers claim it will? Let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter. You can also find more info about the services you need by following our Tulsa disability attorneys on this blog.