Healthcare (Medicare)

SB 1560, the Oklahoma Medical Freedom Act, prohibits businesses, schools, and ticket issuers from denying service, admission, or employment based on whether a person has received medical interventions like vaccines. It bans schools from requiring medical interventions for attendance, businesses from mandating them for services (except for specific foreign travel needs with written notice), and governments from requiring them for benefits, licenses, or public access. The law exempts Medicare/Medicaid providers and existing safety standards (like masks during the pandemic), but explicitly excludes vaccines and pandemic-related requirements from this exemption. It applies directly to all Oklahoma businesses, schools, and government entities, with enforcement through the Attorney General or local prosecutors.

This bill limits medical damages in Oklahoma personal injury cases to actual payments made by plaintiffs or their insurers, not the higher amounts billed by providers. It requires health care providers to submit signed statements confirming they accept the actual payment amount as full settlement, or use Medicare reimbursement rates as a standard when no payment was made. The law applies to both past medical bills and future treatment costs, directly affecting plaintiffs, health care providers (like hospitals and doctors), and health insurance plans. It aims to reduce inflated medical billing in lawsuits by making only verified payments or standard rates admissible as evidence.