health insurance rate review

Sept. 11, 2013 — Gov. John Kitzhaber tasked the Oregon Health Policy Board with four areas to hold down healthcare costs, including greater oversight of rate requests by insurance companies. But the state health director, Dr. Bruce Goldberg, downplayed rate review as a way of bringing down costs at Tuesday’s meeting of the policy board.

Senate Bill 413 directs the Department of Consumer & Business Services and the Oregon Health Authority to add tools for cost containment to the health insurance rate review process, while insurers will also give consumers more notice when they seek rate changes.

The House Health Committee Chairman wants to give DCBS new powers in the annual health insurance rate review approval, while the Senate Health Committee Chairwoman continues to support Regence’s efforts to limit notice of rate hikes.