Jun
17
Stimulus follow-up #2
Filed Under Uncategorized
Continuing our effort to track stimulus dollars and find out how they are being spent in Oklahoma, here are a couple more responses from agencies on the list of having received funds through April 30th.
(Note that we finally have responses from state agencies that have spent stimulus dollars. Those dollars have been spent on Medicaid and unemployment benefits.)
Department of Health -
1) The $1,604,362 is a combination of monies:
a. $1,354,329 from OK State Department of Education for IDEA Part C (Soonerstart – Early Intervention) used to partially fund contractual expenditures of OSDH for the month(s) of February and March 2009.
b. $250,033 paid back to OSDH by Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) (deposited to Fund 490) for the reduced matching obligation related to increased FMAP (Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage) under ARRA. These monies were sequestered by the Legislature and rolled into the fiscal 2010 appropriation for OSDH. They have not been expended as of this date.
2) On June 2, 2009, an additional $465,375 was paid back to OSDH by OHCA (deposited to Fund 490) for the reduced matching obligation related to increased FMAP under ARRA. These monies were sequestered by the Legislature and rolled into the fiscal 2010 appropriation for OSDH. They have not been expended as of this date.
3) Answered in response to #2 above.
Oklahoma Health Care Authority - sent a spreadsheet which you can view here along with the following explanation: What has basically happened is that our federal match has gone from 2 to 1, to 3 to 1 (the feds provide $3 for every $1 in state contributions).
The $80.2 million that you refer to includes stimulus funds drawn on behalf of OHCA and other state agencies. Therefore, we have included ALL stimulus funds OHCA has drawn down, but they are not necessarily all attributable to OHCA (as we serve as the pass through agency for Medicaid funds coming to the state). We have drawn down a total of $187,351,867 in stimulus funds so far for fiscal year 2009.
The use of all stimulus funds must be appropriated / authorized by the state legislature. OHCA received authorization to utilize up to $30 million of stimulus funds to cover SFY09 expenditures that were exceeding budget amounts. OHCA was authorized/appropriated $316,460,502 in stimulus funds to replace state appropriations for the SFY10 budget year. All stimulus fund expenditures have been for the operation of the Medicaid program. The stimulus funds have enabled us to maintain the program. Had it not been for these funds, we would have had to reduce/cut something such as benefits or rates in order to stay within our budget.
Also, just FYI and to give you an idea of the volume of people we are assisting, our most recent numbers show that 789,905 Oklahomans have been covered at some point during SFY2009 to date (June ’08 - April ‘09). There has been a 6 percent increase in SoonerCare enrollment SFY2009 to date (June ’08 - April ‘09). The growth in enrollment is to be expected in our program when the economy has problems.
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission - Question: What was the $9,778,056.00 spent on?
Answer: As of May 31, 2009, $141,261.05 of the available $9,778,056.00 has been spent.
Question: Has any additional money been received since April 30th for use in the current fiscal year?
Answer: Since April 30, 2009, the only funds we’ve received are reimbursement funds to offset the cost of the extra $25 per week approved for each UI claimant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). No additional funds have been received since April 30 for administrative or other costs.
Question: If so, what was it spent on?
Answer: Not applicable.Through May 31, 2009, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission has spent the following out of the stimulus funds.
Use……………………………………….. Amount
Extra $25 payments to claimants $15,013,025.00
To sub-recipients for job training $65,243.23
OESC administrative expenditures $76,017.82
TOTAL, expenditures & benefit payments $15,154,286.05
If this seems like a lot to go through to get answers, I think you’re right. I’d hate to think of the amount of time it would take to make such detailed answers for everyone who asked as opposed to just putting this information clearly on the website. Here’s hoping that the OFRG website will not be the only one where taxpayers can track their dollars.
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[...] says it will “ensure Oklahomans have the most up-to-date information available” yet our blog has more up to date information we got from contacting agencies, so it would appear the state is not doing all it can in the area [...]
It is important to note that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority have approveed emergency rule OAC 317:1-1-9.1- Compliance with the Open Records Act. In this emergency rule, OHCA officials are “interpreting” the Open Records Act in a manner that is against the entire purpose of the act. It specifically adds an “exception” on providing information to individuals in cases of possible future litigation. It also removes the key statement that they will not charge in cases where “taxpayers seeking to determine whether those entrusted with the affairs of the government are honestly, faithfully and competently performing their duties as public servants”. There are many reasons for OHCA not wanting to provide documents and that is due to accountability. OHCA paid a 6.5 million dollar settlement to a small group of providers/individuals for violating their constitutional rights. OHCA currently violates the Open Records Act and now wants legislators to allow them to “interpret” an act that has been in place for years. OHCA officials have been found in court to interpret their own rules as “over broad and unreasonable” (CNA Pro 2000 vs OHCA) by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. This is only one citation of several where OHCA officials misinterpreted policy. You can reference the proposed emergency rule at OHCA’s website under http://www.okhca.org and go to boards, then to MAC board agendas and choose the July 2009 meeting agenda. Then go to the hyperlinked section entitled Rule 1 language clean up. The part with the lines through it is the language that they are removing. Concerned? Let your legislators know that this rule needs to be revoked if it gets instituted by the Governor.