The clinic is designated as rural by Medicare but unable to qualify for a grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration because it’s not considered to be in a remote area.
The parent company of Regence BlueCross BlueShield invests in startups, boosts its for-profit subsidiary, but insurance still contributes 99% of revenue.
A task force created through a 2013 bill from Rep. Mitch Greenlick is considering whether his idea of eight regional public health departments would improve upon 36 stand-alone county health departments in an age of greater insurance access but limited timber revenue to fund these legacy public health departments in many rural counties.
But the database as presented by Oregon Health Authority shows very little value in regard to the private insurance market. Many health plans don’t give enrollment numbers; data for individual hospitals is not collected; and data identifying health insurers is kept secret.
How Oregon Can Win in the New Global Innovation Economy: 2014 State New Economy Index Ranking State Competitiveness Will Be Released Wednesday, June 11 in Portland
