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The Health Policy Board has been without a quorum since October so it couldn’t take any action Tuesday, but it has several ideas that are ready to put before the Legislature.

With private equity funds acquiring gastoenterology practices, investment managers now control the financial decisions for many medical offices caring for patients with digestive ailments.

The bipartisan group, which includes officials from the Oregon Health Authority, providers and insurers, have come with a proposal that could be a framework for a bill in 2019.

House Bill 2934 has been downsized from a directive to the federal government to a work group discussion that will flesh out the policy and further inform the debate for the Legislature in 2016. Advocates say the move will not delay the potential implementation of a health plan for immigrants and working-class Oregonians in 2017.

Whether it is the ability to see a certain doctor, visit the provider of choice, or even accept voluntarily charitable assistance, chronic disease patients are seeing their options diminish across the board.