Oklahoma City, OK — Oklahoma is set to introduce a range of new laws come January 1, 2025, that will touch upon diverse areas including healthcare, voter rights, and economic development. These laws aim to address critical issues impacting Oklahomans, from ensuring health care transparency to expanding voting eligibility and boosting infrastructure funding.
One notable piece of legislation, dubbed Corrine’s Law, honors the memory of Corinne Dinges who died in 2021. This law mandates that health insurance plans provide coverage for fertility preservation procedures, such as egg and sperm freezing, for cancer patients at risk of infertility due to their treatments. Importantly, this coverage must be provided without the need for reauthorization and applies to all individuals of reproductive age. However, religious employers have the option to opt out of this requirement but must allow employees the opportunity to purchase supplemental insurance independently.
Another significant legislative update, HB 1629, modifies Oklahoma’s voter registration rules. This revision includes re-enabling voting rights to individuals previously convicted of felonies, contingent upon the completion of their sentences, parole, probation or after receiving a pardon or a charge reduction. It also addresses the voting capabilities of people judged fully or partially incapacitated, stipulating that those deemed fully incapacitated regain their rights upon later court reassessment, while those partially incapacitated maintain their rights unless explicitly revoked by a court order.
The Out-of-Network Ambulance Service Provider Act, legislated through HB 2872, is set to introduce payment regulations for out-of-network ground ambulance services. It establishes minimum reimbursement rates, linked to either local government rates or a capped percentage based on Medicare rates. Ambulance providers must accept such payments as full settlement and cannot bill patients for additional sums beyond stipulated deductible, copay, or coinsurance amounts.
In an effort to foster transparency within health insurance operations, HB 3190, known as the Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act, sets forth new mandates for prior authorization processes in health services. This law ensures quicker decision-making timelines, detailed standards for denials and appeals, and straightforward access to necessary prior authorization information. The law also caters to continuities of care and includes provisions specific to emergency and chronic care situations.
Fiscal policies also receive an update through SB 1401 which modifies the state income tax code to better leverage tax credits for economic and infrastructural developments. This adjustment raises the caps on credit allocations for infrastructure spending, with unused credits transferable to affiliates and valid for up to five years.
Expanding the scope of previous infrastructure financing, SB 1429 transforms the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System Infrastructure Revolving Fund into the Oklahoma Ports Infrastructure Revolving Fund. This revision broadens the fund’s usability for numerous infrastructure projects, enabling both grants and loans, under the control of the Department of Transportation to ensure competitive terms.
Lastly, SB 1457 significantly broadens workers’ compensation to include mental health conditions such as PTSD for first responders without the necessity of an accompanying physical injury. This provision allows up to 52 weeks of benefits for mental health conditions and up to $50,000 for permanent disabilities post-recovery.
As these laws prepare to take effect, they reflect a broader commitment by Oklahoma to tackle various social, health, and economic challenges, potentially setting significant precedents for other states to follow.
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