Federal Health Reforms to Save Oregonians Billions
Federal reforms will reduce Oregon's uninsured population by 65 percent while leaving 240,000 behind
Oregon businesses could save another $30 million even if they increased wages by an expected $469 million as a result of lowered healthcare costs.
Using the Gruber model -- named after economist Jonathan Gruber -- along with demographic trends and existing data on the current uninsured population, analysts determined that four years into the law – by 2019 – about 240,000 people would remain uninsured in Oregon out of 680,000 uninsured today.
Those left without coverage will mostly be undocumented citizens or low-income young people who choose to ignore the individual mandate, according to the analysis.
The figures were delivered Tuesday (Aug 10) to the Oregon Health Policy Board, which oversees the Oregon Health Authority.
Out of those currently uninsured, roughly 150,000 people will likely gain health coverage through an insurance exchange by 2019. The exchange will offer subsidies to families and individuals earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level beginning in 2014 with a possible public health insurance option as well. (See related story)
Another 30,000 people living in Oregon will gain coverage through individual health plans outside the exchange and 80,000 people through employer groups as a result of subsidies and mandates, the report found.
Until then, 142,447 people were on a waiting list for OHP Standard as of July 23. Enrollment in this expanded Medicaid program is estimated to reach 60,000 by June 30, 2011 from roughly 31,000 today. There have now been nine random drawings with the next scheduled for August 18, 2010 for 20,000 names.
To Learn More
For more on OHP Standard including how you can get in that lottery click here.
For a breakdown of the analysis click here for a PDF.
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Does our government really think they can manage my health care better than my doctor?
Our government can't manage it's way out of a paper bag!
Hang onto your hat folks...!!
Health care reform is going to be a bumpy (and spendy) ride !!!!
You simply cannot be serious! Talk about voodoo economics!
HCR isn't saving anybody any money, it's just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, which is an apt description of the amount of money we are shoveling to doctors, hospitals, phrma, device makers etc etc...
There IS no "free" health care, people! The more stuff and people you want covered, the more you will pay, somehow, somewhere.
Public plan, private plan, it won't matter who signs the check ...we will see savings only when we stop gobbling up so dang many services and have a vigorous public health campaign to reverse the tide of obesity and chronic disease, and stop thinking of "prevention" as a bunch of procedures.
I know the answer is 'no" but I will ask the question to play along: does the "savings" in this report include the cost to the taxpayers to cover another 140,000 in OHP? I'm guessing it also doesn't factor in providers and hospitals getting such low reimbursement to treat OHP insureds that they have to charge commercial insureds even more to make up for the low reimbursement (if the OHP insured can even find a physician to treat them).
Finally, does the "savings" from the federal bill include the fact that carriers in Oregon will be forced to raise their rates somewhere between 2-6% for the unlimited lifetime maximums, dependents to age 26 and no cost share for preventive services? That's right, for business and individual policyholders who renew after 10/1 they will see an additional rate increase of 2-6% just from the three items listed above from the federal bill.
One more, does the "savings" also include the taxes that are going to hit device manufacturers, insurance carriers and pharmacutical companies (just to list a few) and the resulting price increase to the consumer?
The "savings" do include increased personal and business taxes to pay for expanding OHP and other subsidies, however, I don't believe it includes costs or increased taxes to the healthcare industry. I also believe the "savings" did factor in any change to commercial insurance rates overall.