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DECEMBER 19, 2011 In this month's edition of Health News from OHA and OHPB: Public comment: Oregon's health care transformation After months of work group and community meetings around the state, the Oregon Health Policy Board has rolled out a preliminary proposal that changes the way the state delivers and pays for health care for low-income Oregonians. The proposal is part of House Bill 3650, passed by the Oregon Legislature last June, which laid out the foundation for integrating physical, mental, dental and other care through the development of local Coordinated Care Organizations (CCO) for the administration of the Oregon Health Plan. Through CCOs, there would be one budget, one point of accountability and one governing entity to coordinate care at the local level. "The status quo isn't working. It is not geared toward improving health or delivering services efficiently," says Governor Kitzhaber. "When we spend ineffectively on health care it takes precious resources from education, public safety and other services. The draft CCO proposal takes us one step closer getting better health outcomes and lower costs." You can also read the full CCO Implementation Proposal and offer your input by going to health.oregon.gov. This is the first of two public comment periods and will last from now through Jan. 3, 2012. The Oregon Health Policy Board (OHPB) will deliver its Coordinated Care Organization Implementation Proposal to the Legislature by Feb. 1, 2012. Between now and then, OHPB will hold two more Board meetings and two periods of public comment on the proposal. OHPB is collecting public input now, before meeting for its regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 10 to review an updated draft Proposal. Another round of public comments will follow. On Jan. 24, the Board will have a special meeting to approve the CCO Implementation Proposal, to be sent to lawmakers. You can find a full timeline of these events in the OHPB December meeting materials, online at health.oregon.gov. Healthy Kids program continues to deliver in a big way A study conducted at Georgetown University shows that Oregon is still a national leader when it comes to finding ways to keep our children healthy, and that a large part of that is due to the state's Healthy Kids program. To date, nearly 105,000 Oregon children have enrolled through Healthy Kids, and according to the 2011 Oregon Health Insurance Survey, 94.4% of Oregon's kids have health coverage today. Read the full story at KTVZ-Central Oregon » Last month, in recognition of the program's significant achievements and continued success, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services honored Healthy Kids program staff with a 2011 Excellence in Children's Health Outreach and Enrollment award. Oregon Health Insurance Exchange update The Oregon Health Insurance Exchange is launching an email alert service to provide information about upcoming meetings, news, and more. Sign up to receive email alerts » The Exchange will be Oregon's central marketplace where consumers and small businesses can shop for health insurance plans and find help paying for coverage. For more information about the Exchange, go to orhix.org. Oregon's Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH) program launched As we know, or have experienced, the way we receive care now is fragmented, creating waste and inefficiencies. Patients must go to one clinic for physical care, another for addictions and mental health care and yet another for testing, labs, etc. – creating more administrative work and giving way to more repetitive procedures, mistakes and costs. As we focus on transforming care to deliver better health, better care and lower costs through Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs), there are other efforts happening in Oregon that can help us achieve these results for all Oregonians. One such effort is to encourage the expansion of patient-centered primary care across the state. To learn more, visit the state's PCPCH Program. OHPB's next meeting Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, tentatively scheduled for 8:30 to noon. Visit the Board's website for Portland location and directions. The Oregonian KTVZ-Central Oregon Stay involved! 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 |
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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. |