Today, one in five Oregonians is currently uninsured and nearly 60 percent of them are employed. Living without adequate health coverage is a risk no one should have to take. Now more than ever we need to fix our broken health care system so that all Oregonians can get the care they need, when they need it.
It is inexcusable that more than 80,000 children in Oregon don’t have health insurance. We need to expand coverage and protect our children so they can live healthier lives and become productive members of society.
As the recession continues to deepen, we need to stabilize health coverage and provide a safety net for low-income adults who are most likely to slip through the cracks because they can’t afford to get the care they need.
HB2116 is the best step available to expand coverage now and stem the tide of the uninsured in Oregon. It would use money already within the health care system to restructure and renew the provider tax to expand coverage now and stem the tide of the uninsured in Oregon and:
- Cover 80,000 children and 100,000 low-income Oregonians
- Maximize federal matching dollars
- Bring over $1 billion in new federal dollars to Oregon
