Ballot Initiative Strategy Center releases statement following Oklahoma’s successful passage of Medicaid Expansion

Washington, D.C. — Ballot Initiative Strategy Center’s (BISC) Executive Director, Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, issued the following statement today regarding the approval of a ballot measure in Oklahoma to expand Medicaid:

Today, Oklahoma became the first state to expand Medicaid coverage during this pandemic. In the midst of COVID-19, voters passed Measure 802, making Oklahoma the 37th state to expand Medicaid coverage for those who need it most.

The synchronized rise of unemployment and COVID-19 cases around the country have clearly underscored something we’ve known for a long time: American families seeking healthcare solutions should not fear financial ruin in that quest. As 20 million Americans have filed for unemployment and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has passed 2.5 million nationwide, evidence of our country’s need for affordable and accessible healthcare has never been clearer.

The passage of Measure 802 in Oklahoma marks the fifth time voters have expanded Medicaid via ballot measure, joining recent successful measures in Maine, Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. The ballot measure process empowers voters to have a direct say in the issues affecting them, and when it comes to healthcare, voters in red, purple and blue states have sided with Medicaid at every opportunity. 

We applaud the leadership of The Fairness Project and Yes on 802 in passing today’s ballot measure in Oklahoma, and look forward to the opportunity Missouri voters will have to continue to expand Medicaid via ballot measure on August 4.

 

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