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<h1>Audit Questions Slowness of Oklahoma Assist For Abortion Options</h1><br /> <p class=”byline”>by Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch <br />Could 26, 2022</p> <p><p>As Oklahoma’s Republican lawmakers move the nation’s strictest anti-abortion legal guidelines, an inner audit by the Oklahoma State Division of Well being exhibits the company has critical considerations concerning the efficiency of a vendor chosen to supply reimbursements for care to pregnant ladies at disaster facilities that counsel towards abortions.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>Regardless of the considerations, the Well being Division just lately renewed the contract with the <a href=”https://okpregnancy.org/”>Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community</a> for one more 12 months. Officers stated they issued a number of requests for proposals, however the community was the one entity to reply.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>The <a href=”https://oklahomawatch.org/2022/05/17/state-budget-includes-one-time-payment-to-help-oklahomans-with-inflation-no-grocery-tax-relief/”>proposed finances for fiscal 12 months 2023</a>, which handed the Legislature final week and awaits motion by Gov. Kevin Stitt, earmarked $3 million for this system to assist disaster being pregnant facilities. Stitt signed <a href=”http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Invoice=SB1043&amp;Session=2200″>Senate Invoice 1043</a>, which included the funding, on Wednesday.</p><br /> <p>The <a href=”https://www.documentcloud.org/paperwork/22036024-ok-pregnancy-care-network-s023989-december-2020-_docx”>inner audit</a>, which was restricted in scope, stated the Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community “seems to be severely underperforming and never using the funds for this contract within the method recognized within the contract or the laws that created this funding.” It stated the contract referred to as for 9,300 ladies to be helped within the two-year contract interval. Simply 524 ladies had been offered help by December 2021.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>“Though Inside Audit acknowledges this can be a utterly new program for this sub-recipient, the extent of efficiency up to now is regarding in addition to the restricted variety of ladies truly being served,” stated the audit, dated April 20. </p><br /> <p>Madeline Craig, government director of the Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community, stated the Well being Division didn’t share the inner audit with the group and he or she was unaware of it till <em>Oklahoma Watch</em> requested about it. She stated the unique contract had a “deadly flaw” that meant the group wasn’t in a position to begin signing up suppliers till Could 2021.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>“Our first 12 months was spent laying the muse for what will likely be a wonderful, long-standing program serving the ladies and moms of Oklahoma,” Craig stated in an e-mail. “This system has now hit a tipping level. It’s now offering over $80,000 a month to suppliers serving purchasers in over 20 Oklahoma counties and rising exponentially.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br /> <h2><robust>Selecting Childbirth Act</robust>&nbsp;</h2><br /> <p>The contract with Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community was awarded by the Selecting Childbirth Act, a regulation handed in 2017 below former Gov. Mary Fallin. It offers reimbursements to personal organizations — together with many non secular organizations — for bills used to supply info, referrals and help to ladies to hold their unborn kids to time period. The cash is just not allowed to go to organizations that present abortion companies.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>Such disaster being pregnant facilities can present ultrasounds, prenatal care, conduct sexually transmitted illness testing, provide toddler provides and counsel pregnant ladies away from abortion. Greater than 1.85 million folks acquired companies from 2,700 facilities throughout the nation in 2019, in keeping with a <a href=”https://lozierinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Being pregnant-Heart-Report-2020_FINAL.pdf”>report by the Lozier Institute</a>. Many are run by associates of church buildings however few are licensed medical clinics.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>The Legislature offered $2 million in funds for the Oklahoma program for the primary time in 2019 by a line-item appropriation, largely as a result of the state was dealing with a finances shortfall when the invoice handed in 2017. The Oklahoma program was modeled after these in Texas and Pennsylvania, Majority Flooring Chief Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma Metropolis, stated when the funding invoice got here earlier than the Home in March 2019.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>Three years later, Echols stated his principal concern is getting the cash to the individuals who want it. He stated a change could also be wanted in both the seller or the company administering this system.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>“Whether or not we have to make a change or not, and it appears like we do, it hasn’t shaken my religion within the thought,” Echols stated Tuesday. “We nonetheless should be offering assist to individuals who select. We are able to combat over the abortion subject all we wish, however I nonetheless suppose there’s room for us to lock arms, irrespective of the place you’re on the difficulty, and be in favor of funding ladies who need assistance in the event that they select to have their little one.”&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>A invoice on the Legislature would have given the state Well being Division extra flexibility over monitoring contracts and reimbursements to disaster being pregnant facilities below the Selecting Childbirth Act. <a href=”http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Invoice=SB1552&amp;Session=2200″>Senate Invoice 1552</a> handed the Senate in March however didn’t make it out of a Home committee.&nbsp;</p><br /> <h2><robust>Bid Particulars </robust></h2><br /> <determine class=”wp-block-image size-large”><img src=”https://oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Progress-Hope-Outreach-5-BH-771×546.jpg” alt=”” class=”wp-image-698939″ /><figcaption>Hope Outreach Parenting Ministry in Enid is amongst a number of nonprofits that received reimbursements from the Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community below a state program that funds options to abortion. (Courtesy of Billy Hefton /Enid Information &amp; Eagle)</figcaption></determine><br /> <p>The Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community Inc. was shaped in Could 2019 and acquired its nonprofit <a href=”https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/detailsPage?ein=842055522&amp;identify=Oklahomapercent20Pregnancypercent20Carepercent20Networkpercent20Inc.&amp;metropolis=Woodward&amp;state=OK&amp;countryAbbr=US&amp;dba=&amp;kind=CHARITIES,%20DETERMINATIONLETTERS&amp;orgTags=CHARITIES&amp;orgTags=DETERMINATIONLETTERS”>designation from the Inside Income Service</a> in April 2020. Its response to the bid from the Well being Division consists of at the least 10 potential disaster being pregnant facilities throughout the state, together with Willow Being pregnant Heart, Catholic Charities of Oklahoma and Birthright of Stillwater. </p><br /> <p>“In sum, OPCN’s community will present important attain of this system into each a part of the state in order that companies are accessible,” the group stated in its preliminary bid. “The objective will likely be to serve purchasers that reside within the mixed Oklahoma counties the place over 99% of the abortions within the state are occurring.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>The bid response particulars the community’s plan to cope with surprising pregnancies.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>“Simply as no individual ought to make life-changing choices below duress, no lady ought to really feel like she has to terminate her being pregnant as a result of she is scared, alone, pressured or with out different choices,” the bid stated. “This system seeks to function a refuge for such ladies.”&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>Within the first two years of the $2 million contract, this system paid out $392,000. Virtually $287,000 of that went to the Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community. Simply $106,000 went to reimburse disaster being pregnant facilities, in keeping with Well being Division monetary information.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>“The Selecting Childbirth Program will likely be OPCN’s first program/service, however OPCN has aggressive benefits that no different applicant for this grant can have,” the group stated in its preliminary bid paperwork.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>It mentions the group’s ties to John McNamara, the chief director of the <a href=”https://www.texaspregnancy.org/about/management/”>Texas Being pregnant Care Community</a>. Texas just lately put greater than $100 million into its <a href=”https://www.hhs.texas.gov/companies/well being/women-children/alternatives-abortion”>Options to Abortion</a> program, which began in 2005. After critics complained about accountability, Texas lawmakers required extra <a href=”https://www.hhs.texas.gov/websites/default/recordsdata/paperwork/alternatives-abortion-fy2021-rider68.pdf”>disclosure concerning the outcomes and the nonprofit subcontractors</a>. The Texas Being pregnant Care Community was the only contractor for that program till 2018.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>In Oklahoma, the Well being Division’s inner audit raised questions concerning the Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community spending $3,100 on journey and workplace provides that weren’t lined below the contract. It stated little steerage was offered to the seller and former Well being Division employees authorized the expenditures in an e-mail.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>In its most up-to-date bid response, the Oklahoma Being pregnant Care Community stated it was gradual to begin due to what it referred to as “onerous insurance coverage necessities” the prior contract had for subcontractors.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>“Most of the small, faith-based suppliers weren’t even eligible to acquire $5 million in insurance coverage below a number of classes,” the December bid response stated. “In Could 2021, these necessities had been lastly decreased and the present 9 places had been introduced on board. OPCN is now within the midst of ongoing conversations with at the least 25 new supplier places which might be concerned about becoming a member of this system.”&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>Craig, the community’s government director, stated Wednesday it now has 12 places and intends to have at the least 20 by the top of the 12 months.&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>“These places embrace extra than simply being pregnant facilities,” Craig stated. “They’re additionally adoption businesses, social service businesses and residential services for mothers. We serve purchasers throughout their complete being pregnant and for 12 months after the delivery of their little one.”&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>In an announcement, the Well being Division stated it stays “dedicated to creating certain cash will get out the door to reimburse key suppliers by the Selecting Childbirth Act.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>“These organizations play an important function in offering essential companies to anticipating moms all through the state in the case of counseling, lessons, referrals and materials help,” the company stated. “OSDH will proceed to make sure that reimbursement spending occurs in an pressing and well timed method. We are going to proceed to work diligently with our contracted vendor to perform our final objective, which is to serve Oklahomans.” </p><div class="mvp-post-ad-wrap"><span class="mvp-ad-label">Advertisement</span><div class="mvp-post-ad"><!-- Composite Start --> <div id="M815923ScriptRootC1332091"> </div> <script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.co.uk/n/e/newspub.live.1332091.js" async> </script> <!-- Composite End --> </div></div> <p>This <a goal=”_blank” href=”https://oklahomawatch.org/2022/05/26/audit-questions-slowness-of-oklahoma-support-for-abortion-alternatives/”>article</a> first appeared on <a goal=”_blank” href=”https://oklahomawatch.org”>Oklahoma Watch</a> and is republished right here below a Inventive Commons license.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/oklahomawatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/okwatch-icon.png?match=150percent2C150&amp;ssl=1″ fashion=”width:1em;peak:1em;margin-left:10px;”><img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://oklahomawatch.org/?republication-pixel=true&publish=698936&ga=UA-41441228-1″ fashion=”width:1px;peak:1px;”> <p>