Much has been written lately about how individuals’ health could suffer if they lose insurance under the health proposals circulating in the U.S. House and Senate.
State officials attribute the success to the Healthy Kids program whose numbers grew from 19.4 percent in 2008 to 33.6 percent in 2012.
By:
Joanne Scharer
Since October, Cover Oregon has been toiling through technological hiccups to make sure more Oregonians have affordable and quality health insurance. Behind the scenes, even before the Affordable Care Act became law, efforts to have more children covered by health insurance have been quietly successful, especially in Oregon.
According to a new report, "For Kids' Sake: State-Level Trends in Children's Health Insurance - A State-by-State Analysis," the percentage of uninsured children in the U.S. dropped from 9.7 percent in 2008 to 7.5 percent in 2012. The report, conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health's State Health Access Data Assistance Center and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also documents recent coverage trends at the state level using data from 2008 through 2012, the most recent year available.
The previously uninsured can expect to wait up to two years for even pre-op care unless Oregon’s Insurance Commissioner issues a rule change by Jan. 1
By:
Miles Bryan
October 10, 2013 -- Cover Oregon begins in only a few months. But those needing an organ transplant who haven’t had prior coverage may have to wait a lot longer.
The prices for cataract surgery for an uninsured patient vary from $2,500 to more than $8,000 depending on whether the clinic is located in Bend, Portland or Salem
By:
Tom Olsen
February 25, 2013 -- At 63 and self-employed, I'm too young for Medicare, I make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but I don't make nearly enough to afford an individual insurance policy.
A majority of patients at the Multnomah Village-based clinic come from southwest Portland, but patients travel from as far away as Troutdale or Woodburn to seek care
By:
Christen McCurdy
October 25, 2012 -- For seven years, the Southwest Community Health Center – nestled in the heart of southwest Portland's Multnomah Village – has served Portland's uninsured, with no restrictions on age, income or neighborhood. Forty percent of patients travel to the neighborhood from outside southwest Portland – some from as far away as Troutdale or Woodburn – but the majority of patients live in the southwest quadrant.
Although the numbers have not been adjusted to account for state-level reforms, advocates are worried about shrinking resources for uninsured people
By:
Christen McCurdy
October 19, 2012 -- A 2010 report published by the Oregon Office of Health Policy Research estimates that 35 percent of currently people lacking insurance would remain uninsured by 2019, despite expanded coverage by the Affordable Care Act.
The latest figures show Oregon's uninsured rate is likely rising
By:
Linda Roach
September 22, 2010 -- The affordability of medical insurance cropped up this month as studies showed the number of uninsured Americans rose by 4.4 million and that employers are shifting the burden of rising premiums to workers.
Federal reforms will reduce Oregon's uninsured population by 65 percent while leaving 240,000 behind
By:
David Rosenfeld
Where are the doctors, nurses and medical staff to be found for these 32 million people?
By:
Dr. Ralph Crawshaw
June 16, 2010 -- Dear Mr. President,
Perhaps my experience as a psychiatrist now retired could be of help as you develop effective health reform services.
The $6.7 billion tax to cover the uninsured will supposedly be passed onto consumers
By:
The Lund Report
December 18, 2009 -- In an email to brokers and agents, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon tells them to urge their elected representatives to vote against the healthcare reform bill in Congress because it's estimated to raise premiums on those who have insurance.
Similar to the provider tax imposed by Oreogn legisators, the health reform bill in the Senate imposes a $6.7 billion health insurance premium tax to pay for expanding coverage for the uninsured. And as they did in Oregon, insurers nationally are expected to pass that tax onto ratepayers.
