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April 12, 2013 – Just under 12,000 reports of child abuse or neglect were substantiated by the state of Oregon in 2011, with 80 percent of those incidents involving a family member, according to the 2011 Child Welfare Data Book released by the state's Department of Human Services.

May 7, 2012 -- Although Oregon’s next legislative session is 10 months away, work is already beginning on legislation to establish requirements for health insurance coverage of autism spectrum disorders and streamline the process of obtaining care.A closed door work session was held at the Capitol on May 1, and included legislators, insurance industry representatives and autism advocates such as Portland resident Paul Terdal, the father of two autistic sons.

Partisan rancor nearly blocked a long list of popular bills, but with the impasse broken, the bills have survived. A program to provide healthcare for uninsured Pacific Islanders, and a general assistance program to assist homeless people with housing hit the zeitgeist and received unanimous approval after years of frustration by advocates.

The health committees will meet to get the latest updates on state policy concerns while discussing potential 2016 legislation, from increasing the tobacco purchase age to 21 to providing a better insurance plan for working adults and Pacific Islander residents who currently have no insurance options.

Mediation talks on Tuesday did not reach a conclusive outcome, requiring the Health Authority and the Portland-based CCO to call for a second round of discussion. The outcome of the mediation may determine whether FamilyCare will be able to continue as a CCO.