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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.
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.
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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....
