Oregon ethics officials have fined the former director of a state agency in charge of insurance benefits for educators $20,000 for numerous violations.
The boards overseeing medical and dental benefits for educators and public employees in Oregon now have a permanent director.
The Oregon Educators Benefit Board recruited James Raussen from across the country and offered him a salary of $126,456 to revamp the statewide health plan for Oregon teachers.
The Oregon Educators Benefit Board has winnowed down its finalists for its revamped contract, calling back five health plans to be interviewed by the board members later this month.
The number of people who signed up for Moda Health’s coordinated care options through the Oregon Educators Benefit Board more than doubled this school year to nearly 38,000, up from 16,000 in 2015-2016.
The Oregon Educators Benefit Board is sticking with its chosen new director, James Raussen, after an article last month in The Lund Report forced a special executive session of the board before its regular scheduled meeting Tuesday.
The Oregon Educators Benefit Board voted unanimously Tuesday to delay its contract redesign for another year, arguing they are not yet prepared to take on the extensive work to rethink their health plan to save on costs while improving the patient experience.
Insurers lining up for the lucrative OEBB contract need to sit on their hands for several months.
It’s been nearly 18 months since the two statewide health purchasing pools – better known as the Oregon Educators Benefit Board and the Public Employees Benefit Board – have had a permanent administrator, following the departure of Joan Kapowich in 2013.
The Oregon Educators Benefit Board has delayed its request for new proposals until early July because it needs more time to develop the scoring methodology and analyze the performance and review standards.
