Key Findings. (1) Oklahoma's proposal doesn't address the most important question: how many parents and children may lose coverage. Our estimate is that approximately 4,000 to 13,000 parents could lose coverage and that number would grow over time. (2) The new work reporting requirements would predominantly affect Oklahoma's poorest mothers. The impact could hit hardest in Oklahoma's small towns and rural communities, where parents are more likely to receive Medicaid and where jobs are harder to find. (3) Even if these parents work more hours, they are unlikely to have an offer of health coverage from their employers, so will likely become uninsured. Only 19 percent of Oklahoma adults living in poverty receive employer-sponsored insurance. (4) The loss of coverage for parents would affect their children. Oklahoma's rate of uninsured children is one of the highest in the nation and it is already on the rise. The state's proposal would worsen this trend.
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