The Oregon Health Authority uses performance metrics and quality measures to evaluate the performance of Coordinated Care Organizations – and determine whether they are, in fact, improving care, improving health and lowering costs.
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Since 2012, the Oregon Health Authority has been working on the transition to a Coordinated Care Organization model, measuring performance along the way. Although 2013 was the first full year of operation, the data shows there’s still much to work ahead.
Southern Oregon has the state’s most concentrated presence of coordinated care organizations, with four organizations serving four counties with less than 10 percent of the state’s population.
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As Oregon’s coordinated care organizations continue to solidify their role in the state’s Medicaid expansion, some hospitals in the state are worried that they’ve be put at a competitive disadvantage.
The Oregon Health Authority released its report on Tuesday to much media fanfare, the first such report with a year’s worth of numbers.
Douglas County is getting out of the business of providing mental healthcare -- joining the majority of Oregon counties where private nonprofits are in charge.
Mike Nearman wants to take the Oregon Republican Party in a new direction, one along Tea Party lines and rid the party of so-called “Republicans In Name Only” that hold sway in the Oregon House. He wants to start with Rep. Jim Thompson, R-Dallas, whom he believes hasn’t done enough to derail the hated Obamacare laws.
“He’s content to just get spoon fed whatever Cover Oregon wants,” said Nearman, an information technology professional and the chairman of the Polk County Republicans. “I wouldn’t let John Kitzhaber get away without answering any questions.”
The fallout from the Cover Oregon debacle will not be limited to the failed online insurance exchange and could have major repercussions throughout Oregon’s health system and the coordinated care organization reform efforts, largely due to the loss of longtime public servant Dr. Bruce Goldberg.
Last week, Gov. John Kitzhaber announced Goldberg’s resignation -- the health policy leader took responsibility for his role in the state’s failure to effectively manage lackluster web developer Oracle. While Goldberg headed up the Oregon Health Authority, the California technology giant sent Oregon a large infrastructure of bad codes rather than the functioning Amazon.com-style website it had promised, leaving Oregon as the only state where consumers cannot sign up for private health insurance online without assistance.
The first nine months of data on coordinated care organizations performance show most of Oregon's 16 coordinated care organizations improving in most areas for which benchmarks are available – with a 13 percent dro
Height, weight, temperature and blood pressure – along with habits such as tobacco use, diet and, increasingly exercise – are a routine part of discussion at primary care visits.
