United for a Healthy Oregon

Too many Oregonians don’t have access to quality, affordable health care.  Oregonians can’t afford to wait. We need health reform now!

HB2116, which passed out of the House Health Care Committee and is now in the Revenue Committee would use money already within the health care system to restructure and renew the provider tax with the goal of:

• Covering 80,000 children and 100,000 low-income Oregonians
• Maximizing federal matching dollars
• Bringing over $1 billion in new federal dollars to Oregon

HB2009, which has gone through an extensive amendment process over the last several months and now includes the Health Fund Board Senate Bills (SB451-457), passed out of the House Health Care Committee with bi-partisan support, and is now in Ways and Means. SB856 is also a comprehesive health reform bill and passed out of the Senate Health Care Committee to Ways and Means. Both bills include the key elements of the Oregon Health Fund Board recommendations including:

• A Health Authority that can consolidate state purchasing of health care services and begin to enact cost saving measures
• An all-claims/all payer data reporting program to give Oregonians the ability to make health care decisions based on both cost and quality
• A strategic planning initiative for developing interoperable electronic health information exchange, positioning Oregon for substantial federal stimulus dollars
• An increased focus on prevention and disease management to improve the quality of patient care
• Development of standards on effective treatments to improve the health of Oregonians
• An electronic registry of patients’ end-of-life medical orders to honor individual preferences
• Targeted investments in workforce development of  the health care workforce to ensure that everyone has access to quality care, no matter where they live in Oregon
• Laying the foundation for an Insurance Exchange so that a plan can be brought back to the 2011 Legislature to establish a central marketplace for insurance that provides one-stop shopping for individuals and small businesses, including a public health plan option.

We will post the key differences and crucial elements we believe have to be part of the final version of health reform soon.

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. However, passing HB2116 isn’t enough. Now is exactly the right time for the Oregon Legislature to lay the foundation for health reform by passing comprehensive health reform. Too many Oregon families are struggling in the current economy. They need help now more than ever, and they need affordable health care. It’s the right thing to do for the economy and it’s the right thing to do for Oregon families.

Key Health Reform Bill Passes Out of Committee. As a coalition of organizations representing over 800,000 Oregonians, we began the session with a 100 Day Countdown to Health with the goal of passing health reform by April 22. We are pleased to see real progress as HB2116 passed out of the House Health Care Committee Friday and Chair Greenlick announced his intentions to pass HB2009 out on Monday.

HB2116 will use money already within the health care system to cover Oregon’s children and more low-income adults.

As noted by Betty-Coe R. de Broekert, volunteer Executive Councilor for AARP Oregon, “access to quality, affordable coverage is increasingly difficult, especially for AARP’s 50- to 64-year-old members who are among the fastest growing groups of uninsured. With skyrocketing health care costs for both families and businesses and too many Oregonians just one illness or injury – or job layoff or loss – away from financial disaster, the cost of doing nothing is just too high. We’ve got to fix health care to help fix our economy.”

HB2116 is just one component of the health reform package before the Legislature. As Representative Kotek reminded her colleagues today, the rest of the reform package also needs to be enacted.

Tom Chamberlain, President of the Oregon AFL-CIO said, “The need for healthcare unites all Oregonians – the poor, middle class and the wealthy, young and old, the rural farmer and the inner-city teacher. That’s why we’ve partnered with advocates for kids and seniors, small business leaders and healthcare providers to ask our legislators to pass comprehensive healthcare reform. Our healthcare system must work for all Oregonians.”

House Bill 2009 and Senate Bills 451-457

The Time for Health Reform is Now!

Now is the time for the 2009 Oregon Legislature to enact the Health Fund Board recommendations as the essential first steps for achieving quality, affordable, accessible health care for all Oregonians:

• provide health care for more Oregonians
• rein in skyrocketing health care costs
• provide better health outcomes

The timeline of getting substantive health reform passed by April 22 is still on track.

Health Reform Adds Jobs to Oregon’s Economy

• Leverage $1 billion federal dollars through a restructured provider tax
• Create 6,180 jobs for every $500 million Oregon receives in federal matching funds, according to economic impact analysis estimates
• Cover 80,000 children and 100,000 low income Oregonians
• Provide more cost effective health care for all of us

Oregonians Can’t Wait Anymore

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

Time for Solutions

The Oregon Health Fund Board spent the last two years working with Oregonians from across the state, both experts and consumers of health care – listening, identifying the problems, exploring solutions, and coming up with a set of comprehensive recommendations.

Legislators have a concrete plan before them in HB2009 and Senate Bills 451-457 including:

• establishing the Health Authority
• laying the groundwork for the Insurance Exchange and begin planning for a public option
• defining the essential benefits that all Oregonians should expect to receive
• increasing transparency in hospital prices
• establishing criteria for insurance rate increases
• developing a plan for secure electronic health records for all Oregonians
• focusing on prevention and disease management and improving the quality of patient care
• beginning to create affordable insurance options for small businesses and individuals

We need to implement the Oregon Health Fund Board recommendations.

Accountability through the Health Authority

Without a Health Authority to ensure public accountability the health reform legislation this legislature will pass could be at risk in the future. We urge the Legislature not to take that risk with the health of Oregonians by passing a Health Authority that will protect Oregonians now and in the future.

Now is the time for the 2009 Oregon Legislature to enact the Health Fund Board recommendations and lay the foundation of health care reform in Oregon.