June 1, 2011

As we enter the final month of the 2011 legislative session, there have been several gains in health reform efforts. Governor Kitzhaber has signed two important bills. One of them is Senate Bill 94, which came from the Oregon Health Policy Board's work to reduce red tape and simplify administrative processes for health care providers. A second bill, Senate Bill 514, ensures year-round access to health care coverage for all of Oregon's children by eliminating "open enrollment" periods for kids.

Also during the final month, the docket is starting to be cleared. Committee bills that did not have a work session held by June 1 will no longer be heard this session, unless the bill is in Rules, Revenue, Redistricting, or Ways and Means.

In this month's newsletter, you will see the details of the health-related bills that continue to move through the Legislature, promising health stories from around Oregon about prevention and the benefits of coordinated care, and two recently released OHA reports on important ways to increase prevention and decrease health care costs.

In 27 counties across Oregon, people with chronic health conditions are learning to manage their own health through a program called Living Well with Chronic Conditions. "The Living Well program helps people develop skills to take charge of their health, make lifestyle changes, and work better with their health care team," says Jane Moore, OHA's health promotion and chronic disease prevention manager.

For many Oregon doctors, including Nick Gideonse, the future of Coordinated Care is already here. Dr. Gideonse's Portland clinic has set up a team-based approach to care, as well as offering regular group sessions for patients to manage chronic diseases together in an effort to increase prevention. Since 2007, hospitalization rates and charges have declined significantly for patients from Dr. Gideonse's clinic.

The Oregon Health Authority, working in partnership with the Northwest Health Foundation, continues to collect health care stories to show what's working - and what could be better - in our state's health system. You can read the Living Well story and Dr. Gideonse's story here, as well as send us your stories.

House Bill 3650
The Joint Special Committee on Health Care sent HB 3650 to the Joint Ways and Means Committee May 18 with a "Do Pass" recommendation. This legislation will transform the health delivery system for Medicaid clients with an eye to better care and lower costs. The bill creates coordinated care organizations, which would be responsible for managing both the health and health care costs in local communities.

HB 3650 in the news:
"Legislative committee approves bill to transform health care in Oregon," Oregonian article, May 16, 2011.

Senate Bill 94
Senate Bill 94 passed out of the House and was signed by Governor Kitzhaber May 23. The bill allows OHA and the Department of Consumer and Business Services to set uniform standards that simplify administrative processes between providers and payers. These processes include determining if someone has insurance, submitting a claim to be paid, prior authorizations, and provider credentialing. This bill was part of the Oregon Health Policy Board's Action Plan for Health. As a result of standardizing the initial processes, providers and payers are estimated to save approximately $93 million per year. This streamlining will allow providers to spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork.

Senate Bill 514
Senate Bill 514 passed out of the House and was signed by Governor Kitzhaber May 23. The bill allows parents to purchase health insurance for their children at any time of year, by providing a mechanism for health insurance companies to evenly share the costs of covering high-risk children. The federal Affordable Care Act prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage for children with pre-existing conditions. That requirement pushes insurers to have just two open enrollment periods each year for uninsured children in order to ensure that parents do not wait until their child is sick before purchasing insurance. SB 514 aims to rectify this problem.

SBs 94 and 514 in the news:
"Governor John Kitzhaber signs health insurance bills to help Oregon kids and simplify paperwork," Oregonian article, May 23, 2011.

Senate Bill 95
Senate Bill 95 passed out of the House unanimously and was signed by Governor Kitzhaber May 16. The bill was part of the Oregon Health Policy Board's Action Plan for Health. It provides that insurers cannot refuse to defend any physician being sued for malpractice because the provider disclosed an error to the patient or the patient's family. This bill encourages disclosure of medical errors and improved patient safety.

Senate Bill 879
Senate Bill 879 passed both the Senate and House unanimously and was signed into law by the Governor May 24. The bill directs OHA to convene a work group to develop standards for administrative requirements such as background checks, immunizations and drug screenings for student placement in clinical training. This bill was part of the Oregon Health Policy Board's Action Plan for Health. These standards will make it easier for nurses and other providers to complete clinical rotations, particularly in rural communities.

According to the Oregon Health Authority's most recent report on health care acquired infections, Oregon hospitals reduced central line infections by 40 percent between 2009 and 2010. The report, released in May, demonstrates some of the improvements that have already been seen since 2009, when requirements took effect for hospitals to report three of the most common infections. It also helps hospitals see where improvements are still needed. The Oregonian reported on the finings.

Tobacco Control
The Tobacco Prevention and Education Program's 2009-2011 Report was released last month. The report highlights many of the different ways that people throughout the state are helping to prevent tobacco use across Oregon. The Oregon Health Authority Director's message on May 23 also emphasized the importance of being aware of the risks involved with smoking.

Electronic health records
Letter to Health Care Providers from Director Bruce Goldberg

The next Oregon Health Policy meeting will take place June 14, 2011.

Connect with us: Use Facebook.com/OregonHealthAuthority and Twitter.com/OHAOregon to find out about OHA events, public input opportunities, transition updates, and federal and state health reform news.

Send input and comments to OHPB at ohpb.info@state.or.us
View calendar of health reform meetings

The Oregon Health Authority is the organization at the forefront of lowering and containing costs, improving quality, and increasing access to health care in order to improve the lifelong health in Oregon. The Oregon Health Authority is overseen by the nine-member citizen Oregon Health Policy Board working towards comprehensive health and health care reform in our state.