Medicaid expansion takes effect in deep-red Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tens of thousands of Oklahoma residents are now covered by health insurance as a result of Medicaid expansion in the state. The voter-backed expansion took effect on Thursday. As a result, Oklahoma is reaping federal bonus payments and staking a central place in the political debate over extending the program in every state. More than 123,000 low-income Oklahomans already have been approved for coverage in a state where nearly 15% of the population is uninsured. According to the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation, Oklahoma’s uninsured rate is the highest in the nation behind Texas.