OKFAHC’s Julie McKone on the Healthcare Cost Crisis, 96.9 FM

Julie McKone, executive director of Oklahoma Families for Affordable Healthcare (OKFAHC), joined Jason Doyle live on Oklahoma's Freedom's First News 96.9 FM on February 13 to discuss findings from a statewide survey on healthcare affordability. The Consumer Healthcare Experience State Survey (CHESS) was commissioned by Altarum’s Healthcare Value Hub in partnership with OKFAHC.

McKone highlighted these survey findings: 

• 67% of respondents say the healthcare system is unaffordable

• 92% report that costs continue to rise.

• Nearly three-quarters worry they will not be able to afford care in the future, and

• Seven in ten say they or a family member have delayed or skipped treatment because of cost.

  
  

“Oklahomans are experiencing a healthcare cost crisis, and it’s getting worse,” McKone said to listeners of the show. "When costs get too high, people put off care and that can lead to bigger health problems down the road.” She added that the impact on Oklahomans has also meant mounting financial pressure and credit card debt.

The show also touched on public support for greater cost transparency in policymaking. More than 80 percent of Oklahoma respondents want lawmakers to disclose how proposed healthcare mandates would affect consumer costs before passing legislation.

McKone highlighted House Bill 1161 as a practical step toward accountability. The bill would establish a formal process for analyzing the cost impact of proposed healthcare mandates before they become law, giving lawmakers and the public clearer insight into whether new policies will increase or decrease healthcare costs.

“Right now, lawmakers have no reliable way of knowing whether a proposal will raise costs or lower them. House Bill 1161 simply creates a transparent process so we can answer that question before legislation is passed.”

Watch Oklahoma's Freedom's First News 96.9 FM show with Jason Doyle and Julie McKone of OKFAHC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCF2PwTy0E0

Read The McCarville Report about the survey: https://mccarvillereport.com/archives/63405

Explore the full CHESS survey findings: https://healthcarevaluehub.org/consumer-healthcare-experience-state-survey/oklahoma