Chris Gray

Lawmakers Increase Mental Health Investments

A good economy has produced rising revenues for the state of Oregon, which allowed legislators to add almost $5 million in mental health investments.

Mar 6, 2018

Bipartisan Support for Drug Price Transparency Shows Limits of PhRMA’s Clout

While transparency advocates did not get everything they wanted from health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, the drug manufacturers will have to explain steep price hikes beginning July 2019.

Mar 6, 2018

Coalition for a Healthy Oregon Backs CCO Transparency Bill

A last-minute intervention by Senate President Peter Courtney made a slight amendment to the bill’s creation of public meetings for coordinated care organizations, leading to unified support from the Medicaid insurers and a 28-1 approval vote in the Senate.

Mar 2, 2018

House Overwhelmingly Passes Six-Year Extension to Nursing Home Tax

The Oregon Health Care Association lobbied to for an early vote to extend the tax to 2026, providing stability to their businesses and the state. The tax raises about $70 million a year for vulnerable seniors.

Feb 23, 2018

Bill Expanding Concussion Release Law Faces Resistance in House

Senate Bill 1547 passed the Senate unanimously despite a lengthy list of opponents, including the Oregon Medical Association. It adds a training regimen for non-physicians if they wish to be authorized to approve a youth athlete to return to play after a head injury.

Feb 23, 2018

Doctors and Health Plans Strike Last-Minute Deal on Uncontracted Payments

A consensus emerged pegging rates to the median from the all-payer, all-claims database, averting confusion when a new law protecting consumers from surprise billing takes effect on March 1.

Feb 16, 2018

CCO Reform Bill Heads for Floor Vote and Possible Partisan Scuffle

In a tense, party-line committee vote, Democrats and Republicans accused each other of being unreasonable and unwilling to negotiate.

Feb 16, 2018

Hospital Association Kills Greenlick’s Attempt to Clarify Charity Care for Patients

The spokesman for the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems said member hospitals are already giving notice to patients about financial assistance in paying medical bills, but Rep. Mitch Greenlick wanted uniform standards across the state hospital system.

Feb 14, 2018

Oregon House Sponsors Right to Healthcare Ballot Referral

The House of Representatives voted on party lines to ask voters to amend the constitution to add healthcare to the state bill of rights.

Feb 14, 2018

Drug Transparency Bill Clears First Hurdle

A separate bill to require health insurers to be more transparent about costs and formularies for consumers did not pass. Drugmakers, who helped spur the opioid crisis, are now profiting off the epidemic by jacking up the price of overdose treatment Naloxone.

Feb 9, 2018