In 2013, the Oregon Legislature restructured the health insurance law to require insurers to pay for primary care based on the services delivered and prohibited insurers from compensating nurse practitioners less, an insurance practice that had threatened patient access in rural Oregon as well as underserved urban communities.
The legislation backed by the Oregon Nurses Association gives teeth to the state’s hospital nurse staffing committees, which were set up 10 years ago to set hospital support staff levels based on patient need, but have not always been taken seriously.
Senate Bill 153 stops health insurers from playing games with payment, ensuring that both nurse practitioners and their clinics are paid the same as doctors. Senate Bill 523 requires insurers to tell providers upon request if a patient has fallen behind in payments, rather than simply denying payments while leaving providers unaware.
Under SB 469, hospitals will be bound by the recommendations of their nurse staffing committees, which craft plans for staffing levels. The bill now heads to the Committee on Ways & Means to provide more funding for state hospital audits that hold hospitals accountable for compliance.
The Oregon Nurses Association says that state-mandated hospital nurse staffing committees are not being taken seriously. Senate Bill 469 would give committee recommendations the force of law and require the Health Authority to conduct compliance audits every five years.