Fixing Oregon's Health Care System Must Be Top Priority
By: State: Oregon
Oregon has one of the fastest growing rates of the uninsured in the country. Health care premiums are skyrocketing, forcing tough choices for businesses, families and seniors. Too many Oregonians are just one major illness or injury, or job layoff or loss, away from financial disaster. The U.S. also spends twice what other countries do on health care, and the quality of care and outcomes are often less.
These are real problems that deserve real solutions. And according to an AARP survey Oregonians are ready for change.
More than nine in 10 respondents—regardless of political ideology or age—say the state of health care in Oregon is in a state of crisis or has major or minor problems (91 percent). Additionally, 89 percent say that it's important to reduce the number of residents without health care coverage, and 87 percent agree that that all Oregon residents should have access to affordable, quality health care.
"Oregonians strongly conveyed that fixing health care is highly important, and that doing so isn't a matter of age or a Democrat or Republican issue, but an Oregonian issue," said Jerry Cohen, state director for AARP Oregon, with 531,000 members in the state.
There's a process underway in Oregon through the Oregon Health Fund Board (OHFB) to do just that.
The Board—comprised of seven Oregonians from across the state, including AARP Oregon State Volunteer President Ray Miao of Bend—has devised a comprehensive blueprint for reform after more than a year of study, dozens of public hearings, and the participation of thousands of Oregonians. It was presented to the Governor and Legislature for consideration in the 2009 legislative session and beyond.
Jerry Cohen, AARP Oregon State Director, says the Oregon Health Fund Board plan is a critical first step and includes many key elements, including:
Creating an Oregon Health Authority, with a strong citizen board, to streamline and coordinate the state's existing patchwork system of purchasing and regulating health care, community services and workforce training.
- Beginning cost containment measures.
- Establishing clear provisions for transparency and accountability, as well as health care quality and equity standards in Oregon.
- Expanding access to kids and additional low-income adults in a first phase.
- Developing and implementing ways to better deliver health care and ultimately health to patients—from approaches that stress prevention and wellness and better collaboration between primary care doctors and other health care providers, to more effective management of chronic diseases and the use of information that compares different medical treatments and the costs of these treatments.
“Investing in health and tackling health care reform are among the most promising solutions to our economic crisis," Cohen said. “We simply can't afford to wait. Oregon's consumers and families can't afford it. Oregon's businesses and communities can't afford it. And Oregon's economy can't afford it. The time to act is now."
Related Articles
AARP Oregon Survey (May 2008)
Ready for Change: AARP Survey of Oregonians Age 35+ on Health Care Reform
AARP Oregon 2007 Legislative Report
Improving health and long-term care are top priorities of AARP, including passage of Senate Bill 329 or the Healthy Oregon Act, which created the Oregon Health Fund Board.
AARP Public Policy Institute Chart Book (Nov. 2008): The Costs of Doing Nothing: What's at Stake Without Health Care Reform
This report highlights the costs of inaction on health care reform from the perspective of consumers, businesses, society, and the nation. It also provides AARP's framework for health security.
AARP: Health Care and Pension Reform Critical to Economic Recovery
Elements that Must Be Part of Health Care Reform
Families USA Report (Oct. 2008): Premiums Versus Paychecks—A Growing Burden for Oregon's Workers
Gambling with Your Health - What Does the U.S. Congress Plan to Do?
Q&A with former Oregon Health Fund Board Director Barney Speight
Q&A with Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski
Other Resources
Oregon Health Fund Board Online
Get final plan, meeting notices, minutes, presentations, plans, bios of members and more.
Oregon Health Fund Board Final Report (Nov. 2008): Aim High—Building a Healthy Oregon
Recommendations to the Governor and 2009 Legislature
AARP Get Involved Advocacy Center
Divided We Fail
See how AARP, business and labor are coming together to break partisan gridlock and ensure health and financial security nationally.
Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research
Oregon health care facts, reports and much more.
Kaiser Family Foundation
Key state health care statistics, data, reports and resources.
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