Universal health care

The task is ambitious and a work is in progress, with a report due at the end of November.

Experts at an Oregon Health Forum event said a single-payer system would improve access to care, lower costs and ease enrollment, but would not be easy to implement.

Efforts are underway in Colorado and Oregon for universal healthcare.

The universal healthcare study that the Oregon Legislature authorized in 2013 has run into roadblocks to funding, and if money for the study is not raised soon, a comprehensive analysis may be impossible before the 2015 session. Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, told The Lund Report after a town hall meeting Monday that the study would need nine months to complete. With the next session just 11 months away, researchers would need to begin in May but fundraisers are nowhere close to their goal of $200,000 to $600,000.

Rep. Michael Dembrow attracted the support of five Republicans to solicit private donations to fund a rigorous academic study on how best to bring true universal healthcare to Oregon.