Alva Review-Courier -

OKLAHOMA CITY – As lawmakers prepare for a special session to address a $215 million budget hole in health spending, rural health providers said they aren't holding their breath.

When Senate Bill 845 failed its constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court in August, the state lost access to the revenue slated to come from a fee on cigarettes. That money was slated for mental health services, human services and the agency that administers Medicaid.

Like many health providers, rural hospitals depend widely on that money, especially the amounts coming from Medicaid. However, in many ways that de...