hiv

Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Pendleton, has introduced two bills that are designed to improve public policy at the intersection of healthcare and corrections, allowing the physicians of prison guards to get information about HIV exposure and closing a loophole to require health insurers to cover medical costs for juveniles held on bail.

Advocates are proposing legislation that would limit out-of-pocket costs to $150 a month after some patients see insurance companies shift the cost for pricey HIV medications by as much as $1,200 a month, after paying just $40 a month under the old high-risk pool.

The grant is part of a $2.3 million “innovation fund” set aside for programs that could help the state lower costs and improve care

March 12, 2012—A bill that would have required the state to continue paying for drugs used for mental illnesses, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and immunosuppressant drugs until 2016 died in the last days of the Legislature, blocked by the House and facing a veto threat from Governor Kitzhaber.

January 24, 2012 -- Syringe exchange programs are unlikely to suffer major financial impact as a result of a Congressional vote in December that halted federal funding. “It's actually going to have minimal impact,” said Kathy Oliver, executive director of Outside In, which has been operating a needle exchange since 1989. “It's a giant step backward in terms of public policy.”