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"AOI understands that access to and affordability of healthcare is crucial to Oregonians. AOI actively supports legislation that looks at public private partnerships that addresses this key issue of Oregonians, even if it means opposing politically popular mandates.”
--Dennis Rea, President, H.T. Rea Farming Corp.
Health Policy Board Meeting Monthly, Seeks Public Input
Article by: Betsy Earls - June 22, 2010
The Health Policy Board was created by the 2009 Legislature to oversee health care reform in Oregon. As initial goals, the Legislature charged the Board with the work of:
- establishing cost containment mechanisms to reduce health care costs;
- establishing and refining uniform, statewide health care quality standards for use by all purchasers, third party payers and providers as quality performance benchmarks;
- developing and submitting a plan to the 2011 Legislative Assembly by December 31, 2010, to provide and fund access to affordable, quality health care for all Oregonians by 2015.
To accomplish these goals, the Board meets the second Tuesday of every month, and Board meetings are streamed live. The Board is specifically seeking public input on all subjects that they address. Questions and comments can be e-mailed to the Board at ohpb.info@state.or.us. Questions are forwarded to the Board each Monday, and both questions and answers will be posted on their website: www.oregon.gov/OHA/submitquestions.shtml
Each month's Heath Policy Board meeting package of materials includes updates about the work of all committees and the Oregon Health Authority. Packages for past meetings can be downloaded at: www.oregon.gov/OHA/OHPB/meetings/index.sshtml#100608
In the section titled Public Notice of 2010 Board Meetings, materials are live links found under each meeting date.
The key components of the most recently posted timelines for Health Policy Board discussions include:
- June (already occurred, materials available online):
- Administrative simplification; review & endorse or amend workgroup; recommendation.
- July:
- Essential Benefit Package Review and endorse/amend draft essential benefit package.
- August:
- DRAFT Business Plan for a Health Insurance Exchange including a public plan. The August webinar will review the elements that make a public plan, well, public.
- DRAFT comprehensive plan-update review; preview legislative concepts review and endorse/amend.
- September:
- Public forums around the state for presentation and discussion related to the Board's developing proposal for an insurance exchange, a public option within the exchange, and reaching the legislated goal of universal health care by 2015.
