Gubernatorial Candidates Discuss Medicaid Reform Options

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Although Oklahoma's Medicaid program hasn't received much attention from candidates so far this election season, it remains "the 800-pound gorilla" of state politics, according to gubernatorial candidate Steve Largent, R-Tulsa.

The program, which provides health care coverage to the poor and is funded through state-federal matching funds, has seen enrollment surge and expenses balloon, with that trend expected to continue or even accelerate in the next decade.

As a result, the next governor may face some tough choices when it comes to financing the program.

In the last year alone, Oklahoma's Medicaid enrollment grew 6.1 percent, rising from 443,926 in July …