United for a Healthy Oregon

Too many Oregonians don’t have access to quality, affordable health care.

We must create healthy communities by covering all people living in Oregon starting with expanding access to cover all children and more low income adults.

At the same time we need to acknowledge and address health disparities faced by many including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, geography and primary language.

One out of every six Oregonians is currently uninsured and that number is rising. The cost of uncompensated care to the uninsured increases the cost of health care and insurance premiums for all Oregonians. It would be more cost effective if everyone had affordable coverage and preventive care. The current path is not sustainable and we’re all paying the price.

Especially now, when many Oregonians have lost their jobs, being able to ensure that every Oregon child has access to health care, is a glimmer of hope in these uncertain economic times.

In December 2008, 11.1 million Americans were unemployed and actively seeking work. For the families of those who become unemployed, the loss of income is often compounded by the loss of health insurance. In Oregon, 56% of unemployed workers with incomes below 200% of Poverty are also uninsured. (Families USA, Unemployed and Uninsured in America, Special Report, February 2009.)

Leveraging $1 billion federal dollars will help Oregon’s economy and allow 200,000 more Oregonians to have health insurance. That will mean more jobs for Oregonians, and more cost effective health care for all of us.

Health care reform is an issue that impacts every Oregon family and business. We must create a sustainable system for reform that contains costs, works to expand access, and provides better health outcomes for all Oregonians.

As health care costs contain to grow, these rising costs are crippling small businesses and Oregon’s families.

In 2008, 852,000 Oregonians under the age of 65 were in families that expected to spend more than 10% of their pre-tax family income on health care costs. 85% of these Oregonians were insured. 258,000 Oregonians were in families that expected to spend more than 25% of their pre-tax income on health care. (Families USA, December 2007)

Nationally and in Oregon, families and businesses are looking to government to intervene in a broken health care market. 51% of Americans believe there is not enough government regulation of health care costs. (Kaiser Family Foundation, January 2009)

By passing the recommendations of the Oregon Health Fund Board around cost containment and reducing the cost shift by covering more Oregonians, we can save the state budget, Oregon’s businesses and Oregon families $10 billion dollars over 10 years, putting our health care system back on a sustainable path.

We Can’t Afford to Wait!

Oregonians are working harder and struggling to pay health care costs and make ends meet. Health care costs have more than doubled in recent years while wages are stagnant.  Small businesses are the engine of our economy and they need help with providing access to affordable, quality health care. We can’t wait. Now is the time to fix the system so we have quality, affordable health care for all Oregonians.

Health Reform Adds Jobs to Oregon’s Economy

Each dollar in the provider tax being discussed will be matched with more than $2.00 in federal Medicaid funds. Oregon’s economy will benefit, as we bring in more than a billion dollars in new federal funds into Oregon’s economy – creating more than 4,000 new jobs, protecting thousands of existing jobs and providing new services in our local communities.           

Oregon Can’t Afford the High Cost of Doing Nothing

One out of every six Oregonians is currently uninsured and that number is rising. The cost of uncompensated care to the uninsured increases the cost of health care and insurance premiums for all Oregonians. It would be more cost effective if everyone had affordable coverage and preventive care. The current path is not sustainable and we’re all paying the price.

Time for Solutions

The Oregon Health Fund Board spent the last two years working with Oregonians from across the state – listening, identifying the problems, exploring solutions, and coming up with a set of comprehensive recommendations. Now is the time for Oregon to start down the path of comprehensive health reform, so that we can work together to implement efficient, effective and fair solutions.

Protect Oregonians from skyrocketing health care costs.

Rising health care premiums and out-of-pocket costs are hammering Oregon families and businesses. A recent study found that without health reform, the average family insurance premium will more than double by 2016, to over $27,000 per year. The Oregon Health Fund Board recommendations focusing on increasing efficiency have the potential to cut $10 billion in health care costs over 10 years.