Chamber commends CMS approval of SHOPP

1.19.2012
The state of Oklahoma received notification today that Center for Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the state plan amendment for the Supplemental Hospital Offset Payment Program (SHOPP).
“This is a tremendous victory for the Tulsa region, our hospitals and the citizens of the state of Oklahoma,” said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

“The passage of SHOPP at the state level was the Chamber’s #1 OneVoice state priority in 2011, and approval by CMS was among the top OneVoice federal priorities for 2012,” Neal continued. “More than 45 OneVoice partners, including area cities, counties, regional chambers and other organizations, supported this initiative through the OneVoice process. The State Chamber of Oklahoma and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber joined with the Tulsa Metro Chamber in championing this effort during last year’s legislative session.”

Today's approval announcement gives the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) the authority to move forward with beginning the process of collecting assessments and making payments to hospitals. The plan will provide durable, consistent and predictable funding for Medicaid and indigent care providers by placing a 2.5 percent assessment fee on 77 hospitals across our state.

“The SHOPP plan is vital in our state's attempts to manage ever-increasing health care costs and the burden this places upon our businesses,” said Becky J. Frank, chair of the Tulsa Metro Chamber and chairman and CEO of Schnake Turnbo Frank | PR.

Before SHOPP, hospitals were usually reimbursed roughly 67 percent of the costs incurred when providing services to the uninsured, often resulting in non-Medicaid, insured patients making up the difference by paying higher prices or hospital write-offs of up to $5 million a year. With SHOPP, these hospitals will now be able to receive federal dollars to achieve the UPL and continue serving their patients in a balanced, thorough way.

“SHOPP is an integral part of the future of health care in our state,” said Neal. “The Chamber and our partners applaud state legislators, Governor Fallin and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority for their diligent work in gaining federal approval.”


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