Thanks to Brandon Dutcher of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) for passing this along.  Most state and many city chambers of commerce are dominated by the big insurers and big hospitals, so it should come as no surprise that they have been backing the law (Obamacare) that makes their biggest players rich(er).  Republicans often times (more often than not) are pro-business, but not pro-market.  

So far the Republicans in Oklahoma haven’t caved, but the pressure from the hospital cronies continues.  This Friday, an organization called “Leadership Oklahoma,” will hear from the hospital lobbyists and administrators (the Tulsa chamber of commerce president is the CEO of the biggest hospital in Tulsa, St. Francis!) why Medicaid expansion is a good thing.  OCPA saw to it that they had a voice at this gathering and that someone in the healthcare business would be able to make the counter-argument, the free market one.  I’ll let you know how they react to my remarks.

G. Keith Smith, M.D.