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Christopher David Gray

Insurance Division Prepares for Rate Increases in 2015 Using Cost and Quality Metrics

Health insurers must submit their first set of rate increases after the implementation of Cover Oregon to the Insurance Division by May 31, and this year’s filings will include a whole new set of measurements, forcing insurers to do some math about how they’re keeping costs under control. The new measures, called “Cost and Quality Metrics” will not be used to approve or adjust rate hikes from the insurance companies. Instead, they’re likely to determine future rate increases by taking a snapshot of healthcare spending and cost controls in 2014. The Legislature and the Insurance Division could put some teeth into these metrics later and hold insurers accountable for avoiding big departures from those numbers in subsequent years.
Apr 10, 2014
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Thompson Tries to Survive Strong Challenge from the Right

Mike Nearman wants to take the Oregon Republican Party in a new direction, one along Tea Party lines and rid the party of so-called “Republicans In Name Only” that hold sway in the Oregon House. He wants to start with Rep. Jim Thompson, R-Dallas, whom he believes hasn’t done enough to derail the hated Obamacare laws. “He’s content to just get spoon fed whatever Cover Oregon wants,” said Nearman, an information technology professional and the chairman of the Polk County Republicans. “I wouldn’t let John Kitzhaber get away without answering any questions.”
Apr 9, 2014

Portland Police Lieutenant Outlines New Response to Mental Health Crises

Portland Police Lt. Cliff Bacigalupi was a seasoned street cop when his police chief asked him to head up a new unit designed to address an unintended but growing part of the police force’s scope of practice -- performing triage on the high number of people with mental illness in Portland who are not receiving appropriate care and end up the source of 911 calls.
Apr 8, 2014

Policy Board Moves Ahead at Setting Sustainable Growth Rate

The Oregon Health Policy Board made a baby-step Tuesday in its efforts to tackle rising healthcare costs -- approving a committee to set the groundwork for a legally allowable, sustainable rate of medical inflation for healthcare providers. When the board finishes it work, it could recommend penalties and rewards to keep providers under a reasonable inflation rate, likely one similar to the rate imposed on the the coordinated care organizations -- 3.4 percent.
Apr 3, 2014

Technical Errors Prevent Cover Oregon from Opening Meeting to Public

Cover Oregon tried to open its legislative oversight committee to the public, only to have technical errors shut the meeting down 12 minutes after it began when the public telephone line failed to work. The Tuesday meeting was intended to be the first public meeting of the legislative oversight committee, which the Legislature had created to oversee the work of Cover Oregon. Little was known about when these meetings were actually taking place because they were kept secretive and held without access to the public or the media, in possible violation of the Public Meetings Law.
Apr 3, 2014

Private Homecare Agencies Worry About Competition from State

A new law that will expand the state home care Medicaid registry onto the open market has some private agencies who offer this kind of care worried that the state is butting in on their business. Other observers maintain that the public option will have little or no effect on their ability to provide quality care to seniors.
Mar 28, 2014
Goldberg’s Exit Shifts Medicaid Transformation into Uncertain Waters Christen McCurdy Wed, 03/26/2014 - 12:58
The fallout from the Cover Oregon debacle will not be limited to the failed online insurance exchange and could have major repercussions throughout Oregon’s health system and the coordinated care organization reform efforts, largely due to the loss of longtime public servant Dr. Bruce Goldberg. Last week, Gov. John Kitzhaber announced Goldberg’s resignation -- the health policy leader took responsibility for his role in the state’s failure to effectively manage lackluster web developer Oracle. While Goldberg headed up the Oregon Health Authority, the California technology giant sent Oregon a large infrastructure of bad codes rather than the functioning Amazon.com-style website it had promised, leaving Oregon as the only state where consumers cannot sign up for private health insurance online without assistance.

The fallout from the Cover Oregon debacle will not be limited to the failed online insurance exchange and could have major repercussions throughout Oregon’s health system and the coordinated care organization reform efforts, largely due to the loss of longtime public servant Dr.

Cover Oregon Ejects Reporters from Closed-Door Meeting with Legislators

Cover Oregon kicked The Lund Report out of a meeting with top legislators at its Durham headquarters Tuesday, and barred two Statesman-Journal reporters at the door from entering the office. The reporter from The Lund Report was escorted out of the office by Cover Oregon marketing director Amy Fauver and spokeswoman Ariane Holm, and was told it was a private meeting.
Mar 26, 2014

Cover Oregon Audit Released; Goldberg Out Atop Health Authority

https://katubim.s3.amazonaws.com/co_assessment%281%29.pdfThe Cover Oregon debacle has cost one of the most recognizable leaders in state government his job. Dr. Bruce Goldberg, who left his post as the director of the Oregon Health Authority in December to fill in atop Cover Oregon, will stay on at the insurance exchange until a permanent replacement is found next month, but he will not be returning in any form to the health authority when his work at the exchange is done, Gov. John Kitzhaber told reporters Thursday.
Mar 20, 2014

Mercer Report Shows Higher Medical Costs for PEBB in 2013

The Public Employees Benefit Board saw higher medical costs in 2013 than 2012 for its self-insured health plan administered by Providence after a decline in 2012 from 2011. The cost of healthcare for the state’s 49,000 employees and 79,000 dependents rose 3.4 percent in per employee costs in 2013 for the self-insured Providence plan, while jumping 6.6 percent for the Kaiser Permanente plan offered through the Public Employees Benefit Board.
Mar 19, 2014
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