Hospital Fees Floated to Pay for Expanding Oklahoma Medicaid

Hospital fees are being eyed as a potential source for the millions of dollars Oklahoma will need to pay its share of health-care costs for about 178,000 adults who’ll soon become eligible for Medicaid.

Finding the money to pay for those benefits, which voters approved over the objection of Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), is at the top of the to-do list for the legislative session that begins Monday.

The state’s Constitution makes it hard to raise taxes, with supermajority votes required on revenue-raising bills. However, an existing levy can be changed on a simple majority vote, said Senate ...