reform efforts

CMS Approves Accountability Measures

The coordinated care organizations will be graded on 17 metrics regarding access and quality of care, and be rewarded additional funds from a bonus pool
January 16, 2013 -- The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has given final approval to a waiver that includes a list of 17 accountability measures for Oregon’s new coordinated care organizations, which are providing care to the state’s Medicaid population through the Oregon Health Plan. Read More >>

Alternative Practitioners Could Face Legal Hurdles with CCOs

Rep. Dennis Richardson might throw a monkey wrench into the mix during the upcoming legislative session
January 8, 2013 -- Oregon statute is quite clear about allowing people on the Oregon Health Plan to receive care from complementary and alternative medical practitioners – acupuncturists, chiropractors, naturopaths, massage therapists and nurse midwives.   Read More >>

Mental Health, Long-Term Care Targeted for $30 Million in Innovative Ideas

The money in Governor John Kitzhaber’s budget is intended to support the goals of healthcare transformation
January 2, 2013 – The money trail for healthcare transformation is nowhere close to the end. In fact, Governor John Kitzhaber has set aside $30 million in his budget for 2013-2015 to foster collaborations between mental health, long-term care providers and the coordinated care organizations.   Read More >>

Oregon’s Health Exchange Plows Ahead Despite Unknowns

Cover Oregon, the state’s new health exchange created under the Affordable Care Act, faces plenty of uncertainties but presses full speed ahead to meet federal deadlines.
December 19, 2012 -- With the nod of approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid to run a health insurance exchange, Cover Oregon is plowing forward toward implementation. It’s scheduled to have a Web-based, one-stop marketplace up and running by next October, while coverage for the uninsured and small businesses will be available in January 2014. Read More >>

OHSU Intends to Track Effectiveness of CCOs

The work will be done by John McConnell, PhD, who now heads the Center for Health Systems Effectiveness
December 19, 2012 – The newly created Center for Health Systems Effectiveness at Oregon Health & Science University intends to measure the effectiveness of coordinated care organizations under the leadership of John McConnell, PhD, who made a presentation at OHSU’s board meeting last week. Read More >>

Oregon Gives CCOs Financial Incentives for Quality Care

A portion of the state’s increase in federal Medicaid funding will go to coordinated care organizations that show improvement in key areas
December 18, 2012 -- The Oregon Health Authority wants to give financial bonuses to the new coordinated care organizations if they can show good healthcare access as well as emphasize preventive practices such as mental health screening and good maternal healthcare. Read More >>

Health Equity Alliance Brings Public Health to Forefront

The organization intends to focus on tuition equity for immigrant students, prenatal healthcare and driver’s license restoration next legislative session
  December 12, 2012 --At a kickoff event in Northeast Portland, the Oregon Health Equity Alliance announced its legislative priorities for the 2013 session: driver's license restoration, cultural competency for health professionals, data collection in the health sector, tuition equity for immigrant students and prenatal healthcare for all women.   Read More >>

Single-payer activists screen film, discuss Canadian/American healthcare systems

State groups hope to raise support for a single-payer bill this winter
  December 13, 2012 -- Monday night, a small crowd gathered at the Clinton Street Theater for a film screening of The Healthcare Movie (http://www.healthcaremovie.net/), a documentary about the history of the Canadian healthcare system that was produced by a Canadian/American couple Laurie Simons and Terry Sterrenberg to dispel myths and stereotypes about Canada's healthcare system – specifically, that Canadian citizens dislike their healthcare system and frequently travel to the United States for care. Read More >>

State Panel Works to Hammer out Healthcare Worker Rules

Oregon plans to hire hundreds of non-traditional healthcare workers as part of its coordinated care organization transformation
  December 12, 2012 -- Dr. Ralph Eccles can tell his patients they should eat a better diet, quit smoking, exercise more and watch less TV. But they might not listen to a high-minded physician, and could lack the tools to develop better habits. Instead, the diabetes specialist at Oregon Health & Science University-Cascades East said this is a job for community health workers, such as personal health navigators — who can help people reduce the need for costly, routine hospitalizations and add years to their lives. Read More >>

Klamath County Still at Odds Over Mental Health

The Oregon Health Authority has sent in a second mediator to resolve the ongoing issues between county officials and Cascade Health Alliance
December 5, 2012 -- A last-ditch effort is under way in Klamath County to mediate the dispute over mental health services for the nearly 13,000 people on the Oregon Health Plan. Read More >>
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