The page numbers provided link directly to the relevant sections in the Project 2025 document.

Project 2025 and Healthcare

Project 2025 wants to reduce funding for public health by splitting up the CDC and decreasing its overall scope.

Project 2025 aims to reduce funding for public health by restructuring and reevaluating the roles of federal agencies, including the CDC. Such changes could impact the effectiveness of public health initiatives, particularly those related to disease prevention, health research, and emergency preparedness. The elimination of these programs may also decrease the federal government's role in responding to public health crises; which could lead to less coordinated and effective responses in the future. [452]

For Oklahoma, Project 2025 changes could lead to less federal support for managing health crises, such as infectious disease outbreaks or opioid addiction, and may result in fewer resources for public health infrastructure, surveillance, and research critical to addressing the state's health challenges.

Additional sources: Voters of Tomorrow and Politico

Project 2025 wants to prevent the CDC from advising that school children should be masked or vaccinated, saying such decisions should be left to parents and medical providers.

Project 2025 aims to limit the CDC's authority to advise on public health measures, such as masking or vaccinating school children, advocating that such decisions be left to parents and medical providers. Project 2025 will reduce coordination in public health responses to infectious diseases, potentially leading to inconsistent practices across states and communities, increase spread of preventable diseases, and less protection for vulnerable populations, such as immunocompromised children. [454]

Without unified CDC guidance, Oklahoma could face inconsistent health measures across its schools, potentially increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and exacerbating health disparities, particularly among vulnerable populations.

Additional sources: CDC, Becker Hospital Review, and HHS.gov

Project 2025 wants to reform the Affordable Care Act

Project 2025 wants to reform the ACA (Affordable Care Act) which could eliminate certain ACA provisions, such as mandatory benefits and coverage. This would allow health insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. For Oklahoma, these proposed changes could have severe consequences. The state has a relatively high percentage of its population relying on Medicaid and other forms of assistance. For Oklahoma, which has high rates of chronic diseases and conditions requiring ongoing medical care, these reforms could lead to a reduction in essential health services. Many Oklahomans could face higher out-of-pocket costs or lose access to coverage altogether, exacerbating existing health disparities and placing further strain on the state's healthcare infrastructure. [469]

In 2024 21.3 million people signed up for health insurance through the 2024 enrollment period of the ACA. During the 2024 enrollment period, 277,436 people in Oklahoma signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace.

Additional Sources: CMS.gov