Public-owned hospitals such as Bay Area, Blue Mountain, Coquille Valley, Curry General, Harney District, Lake District, Lower Umpqua, Pioneer Memorial, Southern Coos and Wallowa Memorial struggle to remain independent.
Among the private insurers, Regence BlueCross BlueShield is the lowest payer and reduced its rates over the past two year, while a new contract is under negotiation.
Gov. John Kitzhaber proudly wrote of PEBB’s success in controlling costs while offering new options that transform the way healthcare is delivered, aligning the health plan for public employees closer to Oregon’s managed care revolution for Medicaid.