Meeting at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, the authority reported that 5,841 people had been dropped from SoonerCare, the state's Medicaid program, because they could not meet new federal documentation require ments.

The requirements grew out of complaints that illegal immigrants, mainly Hispanic, were receiving Medicaid and other federally funded benefits.

The Health Care Authority, though, said 58 percent of those dropped from SoonerCare were white, 18 percent were black, 13 percent were American Indian, 10 percent were Hispanic and 1 percent were Asian.

Sixty-two percent were children.

Health Care Authority Chief Executive Officer Mike Fogarty said those percentages were in line with those for SoonerCare as a whole, which covers more than 600,000 Oklahomans.

"This leads us to speculate, if not conclude, that this has become a requirement that some people have had difficulty overcoming," Fogarty said. "There has not been a problem with an invalid case load."

Fogarty cited a U.S. House Oversight Committee report that said states already implementing the documentation requirements have saved only 14 cents in benefit expenses for every $100 in administrative expenses.

The Health Care Authority does not know the citizenship status of any of those dropped.

The new law requires those applying for Medicaid or renewing eligibility to provide proof of citizenship and identity with a U.S. passport, certificate of naturalization or certificate of citizenship, or both a U.S. birth certificate and a driver's license or other photo identification.

The Health Care Authority said each SoonerCare client is notified at least four times of the requirement, but many apparently either don't understand or lack the necessary documents. Another 5,500 to 6,000 are expected to be dropped on the first of January.

"We are confident many of those folks will begin to pop up when they attempt to access health care and find out their card is no longer valid," Fogarty said.

Health Care Authority board member Tony Arm strong asked if hospitals and other providers can be reimbursed for care provided to someone dropped from SoonerCare and then reinstated. Fogarty said only if the patient is reinstated in the same month he or she is dropped.

"This has the potential to add to noncompensated care," Fogarty said.

Also at Thursday's meeting, Fogarty reported the number of Oklahoma children without health insurance has dropped by one-third over the past decade, largely because of increased enrollment in SoonerCare. Some 343,000 children were enrolled in the program last month, more than twice the number a decade ago.

SoonerCare will cover 32,000 births in 2007, more than half the state's new babies.

Randy Krehbiel 581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com