More than 50K Oklahomans sign up under Medicaid expansion

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — State officials say that more than 51,700 Oklahomans have qualified for Medicaid this week under an expansion of the program approved by voters. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority reported on Friday that 51,708 Oklahomans have qualified for benefits, including about 30,000 from urban areas and more than 21,000 from rural Oklahoma.

After a decade of Republican resistance, Oklahoma voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment last year to expand eligibility for benefits.

Now, an individual who earns up to $17,796 annually, or $36,588 for a family of four, qualifies for Medicaid health care coverage.