Affordable Care Act To Cost Tulsa County Extra $24K Per Month

The Tulsa County Budget Board learned in a special meeting Friday afternoon that the Affordable Care Act is going to cost the county an extra $24,000 every month beginning January 1st.

Tulsa County Human Resources Director Terry Tallent told the board that the extra cost is a tax levied on the county's insurance plan by the ACA.

The Budget Board is made up of the three county commissioners and the county's other five county-wide elected officials; the assessor, treasurer, clerk, court clerk and sheriff.

During the meeting the board discussed whether the county can afford to pay the extra $24,000 to meet the terms of the ACA - also known as Obamacare - or whether it should pass the extra cost onto its employees.

The board decided that the county will pay the $24,000 tax for January of 2014. It scheduled another special meeting for next month to decide whether the county will continue to pay it after that, or if it will require its employees to foot the bill.