Oklahoma’s children deserve better: Leveraging federal aid and policy solutions to improve child well-being: From school and child care closings to economic disruptions, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed many gaps within our state’s systems that support children and families. As we look toward recovery, it will be important to develop equitable strategies that benefit the individuals and families most harmed by the pandemic. While Oklahoma state leadership failed to enact many policies during the pandemic that would protect the most vulnerable Oklahomans, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will allow the state to address some of its residents’ most critical needs. Signed into law in March 2021, ARPA builds on previous pandemic relief efforts and is designed to provide aid to states, localities, territories, and tribal nations to fill revenue holes, address needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and help the learning needs of students. [Gabrielle Jacobi / OK Policy]

Policy Matters: Lifting Oklahoma children out of poverty: Among the many provisions from this spring’s federal pandemic relief package, no single measure will do more to help our children escape poverty – even if only temporarily – than the expanded Child Tax Credit, which will start being dispersed to American families Thursday. In Oklahoma, 1 in 5 of our children live below the poverty level, which is just under $26,000 a year for a family with two adults and two children. The extended child tax credit is expected to lift more than 60,000 Oklahoma children out of poverty for even a little while. Policy watchers have noted this assistance can have positive impacts on health, food and housing security, educational outcomes, and much more. [Ahniwake Rose / OK Policy]

Oklahoma News Report InDepth – 2021 KIDS COUNT Report: Gabrielle Jacobi, OK Policy’s Child Well-Being Policy Analyst, participated in a discussion about the state of Oklahoma’s children following the recent release of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual KIDS COUNT report, which showed Oklahoma ranked 42nd nationally for overall child well-being. OK Policy is the Oklahoma affiliate for KIDS COUNT. [Oklahoma News Report / OETA]

Medicaid expansion coverage starts in Oklahoma (Capitol Update): The citizens who organized, advocated, and voted for Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma saw a major milestone achieved on July 1 when the new law that was placed into the constitution by voters last year went into effect. Now anyone aged 19-64, previously ineligible for health care coverage under Medicaid, can sign up and receive benefits if they do not exceed the income and asset limits. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority has estimated more than 200,000 people previously ineligible will now qualify. To its credit, the legislature approved a budget of $164 million in funding for the expansion. Ninety percent of the cost is paid for by the federal government. [Capitol Update / Steve Lewis]

CoverOK Health Care Coalition Releases SoonerCare Enrollment Guide, Video: A statewide coalition of health care advocates and providers has created resources to help connect newly eligible Oklahomans to life-changing health care coverage provided by Medicaid. According to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, more than 130,000 Oklahomans have already been approved for benefits through expansion. However, thousands more Oklahomans are eligible for health coverage but have yet to apply. As a result of Medicaid expansion, adults with low incomes are now eligible for SoonerCare. [CoverOK]

Weekly What’s That

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Medication-assisted treatment, commonly called MAT, combines behavioral therapy and medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), or smoking.

There are three medications used in MAT for OUD: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Methadone, a clinically administered opioid that prevents withdrawal and does not block other narcotics, can only be given by a opioid treatment program certified clinic. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid-based medication that does block the effect of other narcotics while preventing withdrawal, can be administered in an office setting by a doctor with a buprenorphine waiver. Naltrexone is a non-opioid-based medication that blocks the opioids from attaching to receptors in the brain but does not prevent withdrawal. Naltrexone is also used to treat AUD.