SB 515 Oklahoma Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Health insurance; authorizing health care provider to accept certain payments; requiring application of certain charge to deductible and maximum out-of-pocket expense. Effective date.

SB 515 allows Oklahoma health insurance enrollees to pay health care providers directly for covered, medically necessary services at negotiated lower prices. If the patient pays out of pocket for such a service (at a price below the insurer's standard rate), the provider must accept it as full payment and cannot bill for any balance. The insurer must then count this payment toward the patient's deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, depending on whether the provider was in-network or out-of-network. The bill applies to most health benefit plans (excluding Medicaid, Medicare supplements, and short-term plans) and takes effect November 1, 2025. It directly affects patients, providers, and insurers by changing how out-of-pocket payments count toward coverage costs.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Signed May 12, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

Floor (House) Floor (Senate) · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to change its codification location from Title 36 Section 6060.51 to 6046, update the summary description to focus on health insurance rather than health care services, and streamline the effective date to November 1, 2025. The substantive policy provisions regarding provider payment acceptance and carrier deductible application remain largely unchanged.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on allowing health care providers to accept direct payments from enrollees and requiring health benefit plans to apply those payments toward deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums.
TECHNICAL

Changed codification location from Title 36 Section 6060.51 to Title 36 Section 6046

Added committee report section with 'DO PASS AS AMENDED' recommendation

DEFINITION

Updated bill summary language from 'health care services' to 'health insurance' to better reflect the bill's purpose

TIMELINE

Simplified effective date language to November 1, 2025

Floor votes · Senate Mar 25, 2025 · House May 5, 2025

How they voted

480
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 49
Mar 25, 2025
D Democratic9
9 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican40
39 Yea 1
97% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
32
Key actions
7
Committee
6
Amendments
1
May 12, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 05/09/2025
upper
May 5, 2025
Committee
Referred for enrollment
upper
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 90 Nays: 0
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
CR; Do Pass Commerce and Economic Development Oversight Committee
lower
Apr 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Policy recommendation to the Commerce and Economic Development Oversight committee; Do Pass Insurance
lower
Apr 1, 2025
Committee
Referred to Insurance
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Introduced
First Reading
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Engrossed to House
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Committee
Referred for engrossment
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
Measure passed: Ayes: 46 Nays: 0
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Introduced
General Order, Amended by Floor Substitute
upper
Mar 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported Do Pass as amended Business and Insurance committee; CR filed
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Introduced
First Reading
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors