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Breaking News

Take action to preserve rural health safety net
A number of programs Congress previously enacted to protect rural patients and providers will expire at various points during 2012, many at the end of February.
Failure to extend these vital provisions will impair rural hospitals, doctors and other professionals from providing needed emergency, primary and mental health care.
Contact your members of Congress and ask them to help rural providers face the inherent challenges in the rural delivery system by extending these vital Medicare provisions.
Click here for details.

President's budget proposal could harm rural health
Learn about the rural health implications - from critical access hospitals to area health education centers - of Obama's 2013 budget proposal on NRHA's blog.
And check out reactions to these consequences from NRHA's Alan Morgan on the Modern Healthcare website.
 

OREGON Legislative Reports

Final Report
CCO TRANSFORMATION (SB 1580) Passed
The Legislature approved the plan to transform the way the Oregon Health Plan is delivered by encouraging development of a system of regional coordinated care organizations (CCOs) designed to achieve better health outcomes by coordinating physical, mental and oral health care.
The new CCOs will include physicians, hospitals, mental health and addiction treatment providers, safety net clinics, dental groups, county government and consumers. full report...
 

March 4, 2011
Insurance Exchange adds OEBB Opt-out in Late Session Deal (HB 4164)
House Republicans wanted something before they would release the Insurance Exchange bill for a vote. What they got was the ability for school districts to opt out of OEBB (Oregon Educators Benefits Board), beginning in October 2015, but only if the district buys its insurance through the Insurance Exchange. If a district does opt out of OEBB, It must stay out for five years. full report...
 

February 26, 2012
CCO Transformation passes House (SB 1580)
Rep. Tina Kotek (D-Portland) described the healthcare transformation bill that will allow formation of regional coordinated care organizations, "A model of bipartisanship on an issue that matters to all Oregonians."
The CCOs will provide integrated physical, mental and oral health services. "I hope we don't wait until 2014" to bring in the dental care organizations, she said. "We know that oral health is important. It is not an afterthought but an important piece of integrated care." full report...
 

February 19, 2012
CCO Transformation Passes Senate (SB 1580)
Senate Republicans said SB 1580 lacked the key ingredient of medical liability tort reform, so they vowed to try to derail the health care transformation bill.
They tried to amend it on the Senate floor with a tort reform provision but that failed 16-14. After signing a letter with the Republicans earlier in the week, Sen. Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) voted with the Democrats saying a Department of Justice opinion cast doubt on the constitutionality of the tort reform proposal and that its passage might actually hurt OHSU.
The Republicans tried to send it back to the Ways and Means Committee. That too failed 16-14.
Ultimately they opposed the bill and that failed 16-14. Later Sen. Jackie Winters (R-Salem) and Sen. Bruce Starr changed their votes from no to yes, so the final vote was 18-12. But that came after a long debate. full report..
 

February 12, 2012
CCO Plan Moves to the Senate Floor (SB 1580)

Meeting in a late evening session, the Human Services Subcommittee amended the
CCO bill and sent it on to the full Ways and Means Committee. full report...
 

February 5, 2012
Session opens with a Bang

There is no easing in to a short legislative session. Committees scheduled hearings
on most of their major bills in the first three days. The session had barely opened when
there was already talk of hostage taking, e.g., we won't pass the education and health
care bills unless a water and timber package also passes.
One lobbyist friend said he felt like he was playing whack-a-mole, a feeling we all
shared as one crisis after another blew up during the whirlwind opening days.
The short session's first deadline comes Monday at 5 pm - bills must be posted on a
committee agenda or they are dead. full report....

 

Mission Statement

The Oregon Rural Health Association is a nonprofit organization whose primary goal is to improve the health of rural Oregonians. The Oregon Rural Health Association is composed of individuals and organizations dedicated to providing leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communication and education. The Association was founded to:

  • Promote rural health as a distinct concern in Oregon.

  • Serve as an advocate for rural health, and to promote an improved health status and health system for rural Oregonians.

  • Serve as a unified voice for rural health to include consumers, public officials and representatives of all health professions, acting on behalf of rural Oregonians.

  • Encourage the development of appropriate health resources to rural areas of Oregon.
     


    Coming Events:


     
    NRHA is setting the bar mile-high for the 35th Annual Conference April 17-20:

     
    1. NRHA is proud to announce author, documentary filmmaker and Vietnam veteran T.R. Reid as our keynote speaker. Reid wrote the New York Times-best seller, “The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care.” Learn more about his accomplishments here.

     
    2. Our federal partners at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Rural Health Policy and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will debrief you on the latest changes impacting rural health care delivery and funding.

     
    3. Scholarships for both the Annual Rural Health Conference and Rural Medical Educators Conference (April 17) are available on a first-come, first-serve basis starting today. Share this opportunity with students and colleagues right away since funds are limited.
     
    For more information on these educational and networking events, click here to register and save $100.
     
    And for a mountain of insider tips to turn your trip to Colorado into a vacation, click here.


    October 24 - 26
    Oregon Rural Health Conference

    Salishan Spa and Golf Resort
    more details to be announced

 
Oregon Rural Health Association
11918 SE Division St, #292
Portland, OR 97266
Phone: 503.473.6728  Fax: 503.762.2146 (Cover sheet required)
 
For comments and suggestions about this web site, email: grendele@orha.org


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