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Oklahoma law now requires hospitals to post prices of procedures

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Oklahoma law now requires hospitals to post prices of procedures


OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — If you have ever undergone a medical procedure, you know one of the scariest parts is not knowing how much you will have to pay.

That will no longer be the case for Oklahomans starting Saturday, November 1st.

Governor Kevin Stitt held a press conference Tuesday with other supporters of the new Hospital Price Transparency Law.

“It’s asking for transparency in pricing at hospitals, pretty common sense for consumers,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said.

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Starting November 1st, Oklahoma hospitals must post prices for procedures, so patients know how much they are paying before the bill arrives.

“We should be able to know how much things cost and not be surprised by humongous medical bills,” Gov. Stitt said.

“This law protects consumers who say if they’ve been harmed by overcharges, they also have a private right of action to go after the hospital for way overcharging them beyond the prices they were to have paid,” Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman for Patient Rights Advocate said.

Fisher says in their most recent report, only 12% of Oklahoma hospitals reviewed were fully complying with the federal hospital price transparency rule first implemented nearly five years ago.

“And what has happened in the shadows is there is wide price variation,” Fisher said. “One patient may pay with their plan $1,200, and another patient may be billed over $12,000 for that very same procedure.”

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Supporters believe this law will create a free market system, and in turn, bring down prices.

“I think we’ll see prices fall and quality soar,” Dr. Keith Smith, Co-Founder of the Free Market Medical Association and Surgery Center of Oklahoma said.

The State Department of Health will make sure hospitals post prices.

We reached out to a couple of hospitals to see how they plan to roll this out.

Integris Health never got back with us, and OU Health said they would send over something Wednesday.

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Gov. Stitt says there is one main goal behind this law.

“We’re going to put power back into the consumers hands, going to lower health care cost across the state of Oklahoma,” Gov. Stitt said.

You can find the price transparency tool here.



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Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next

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Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next


ORLANDO, Fla. –

The Oklahoma State Cowboys men’s basketball bounced back in a big way Tuesday night.

Anthony Roy scored 27 points and Kanye Clary added 23, including seven in overtime, as Oklahoma State defeated the UCF Knights men’s basketball 111-104 in Orlando.

The Cowboys controlled the extra period, finishing overtime on an 11-4 run and outscoring UCF 17-10.

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Clary played a major role in closing it out. He hit a key 3-pointer and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in overtime to help seal the win.

The victory moves Oklahoma State to 18-12 overall and 6-11 in the Big 12, and gives the Cowboys two wins in their last three games after snapping a five-game losing streak. UCF, now 20-9 (9-8 Big 12), has dropped two straight.

Roy and Clary led a balanced offensive effort. Jaylen Curry and Christian Coleman each added 16 points, while the Cowboys shot 49% from the field (35-of-72) and 80% from the free throw line (32-of-40).

Themus Fulks led UCF with 22 points, while Riley Kugel added 18.

Late-game drama forces overtime

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The final seconds of regulation were chaotic.

With 24 seconds remaining, Isaiah Coleman threw down a dunk to give Oklahoma State a 94-91 lead.

But UCF answered quickly when Chris Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, tying the game at 94-94.

Oklahoma State had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Jaylen Curry missed a shot, and John Bol blocked Roy’s attempt, sending the game to overtime.

Cowboys respond after tough loss

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The Cowboys showed resilience after Saturday’s lopsided loss to Cincinnati.

The team traveled directly to Orlando following that defeat and was pushed through two intense practices by head coach Steve Lutz and the coaching staff.

The response was clear.

Led by Roy’s scoring and Clary’s clutch overtime performance, Oklahoma State delivered a gritty win and swept the season series against UCF

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Oklahoma City police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon

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Oklahoma City police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon


Oklahoma City Police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon Monday night.

The shooting happened near Northwest 10th Street and South Yukon Parkway near the border of Yukon and Oklahoma City.

Police are on the scene, and officials said the victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the hip.

OKCPD said they have at least one person in custody.

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Oklahoma lawmakers consider bill to require annual fee for transmission lines on private property

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Oklahoma lawmakers consider bill to require annual fee for transmission lines on private property


As consumer electricity needs grow, lawmakers are discussing strategies to ease the burden on landowners who don’t want the towers and wires carrying that energy on their property.

As it’s written now, the bill would require transmission owners to pay landowners $2 per foot of line annually. During the committee meeting, Murdock said he introduced the legislation to “start a conversation.”

“ This is an idea of, maybe moving forward, if the landowners are getting a royalty off of the power being pushed across their property, it may make it a little more palatable for someone to have a transmission line go across their property,” he said.

Landowners can enter into easement agreements with companies to set aside portions of their land for the builds. But in some cases, eminent domain is used to obtain a right-of-way.

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“ I’m not saying that this is going to do away with eminent domain,” Murdock said. “What I’m hoping is this just makes it a little more palatable.”

Murdock said he spoke with utility companies about the legislation, though he didn’t name them. The bill’s language could change after creating an alternative rate based on conversations with the companies, he said.

Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, said the bill could raise utility rates for consumers living in Oklahoma’s most populous counties if companies charge more to make up for the annual fee.

Murdock pushed back, noting the lines are necessary to deliver electricity to other counties.

“You understand that you flip that light on because — and have that ability to have electricity because — the people in my district have a transmission line that goes across them, getting you that power,” he said.

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