Special interests, whether it’s so-called “free standing ERs,” Big Pharma, or even some independent pharmacists, have been working overtime to pass backroom deals that drive up their profits at the expense of Oklahoma families. We oppose these special interest giveaways and support market competition, fairness and transparency in pricing, and any attempt to rewrite private contracts that exist to protect families and businesses from being gouged.

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HB1470 is a free-standing emergency room bill that consumers should be aware of and voice concerns about, as the legislature has historically had concerns over enacting legislation that would help establish more of these facilities in Oklahoma. In fact, in 2019 the legislature updated licensing laws to prevent further licensure of this emergency room model. Since then, they have begun pushing for laws to make them Hybrid ER/Urgent Facilities. 

 

The concern is that these facilities are not always equipped to provide true emergency care, even though they have the physical appearance of an Urgent Care Clinic yet charge patients for services at a much higher Emergency Room price.  Their business model is to be out-of-network from medical plans, therefore charging exorbitant rates and balance bill patients. Further, the federal requirements for an “emergency room” are not met by these facilities as they are ineligible for reimbursement from government-funded insurance plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or CHIP.