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 JANUARY 11, 2013 In this month's edition of Health News from OHA and OHPB: OHA and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalize agreement Oregon reached another important milestone in December in its move to reform the health system for Medicaid. The state reached agreement on the Special Terms and Conditions of last July’s Medicaid demonstration, including an unprecedented Accountability Plan and Expenditure Trend Review. The plan lays out the methods, measurements, and accountability for Oregon’s Health System Transformation, including:
More information on Oregon's Medicaid Demonstration, including the full text of the plan and an introductory presentation given by OHA Chief of Policy Tina Edlund, can be found on the OHA website. Cover Oregon, Oregon’s health insurance exchange, receives preliminary approval Oregon was among the first six states granted preliminary approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to begin operating a health insurance exchange in late 2013. Health insurances exchanges will allow small businesses and individuals to compare prices and plans in what will essentially be a health care market place. Governor John Kitzhaber said that the exchange will empower Oregonians to "make decisions about their health coverage" by offering transparency about both quality and cost. The Portland Business Journal covered the story. One Oregonian's story: Patient-centered primary care – It's the way care should be delivered Jim Hill says patient-centered primary care homes provide health care "the way it should be." Hill, 69, has a chronic disease called porphyria. It is an enzyme deficiency that affects the nervous system, skin or both. His son and daughter also have the disease. Hill credits the care he gets at Vida Family Medicine in Salem for diagnosing him and helping him manage the frequent and often difficult symptoms of his disease. Vida is a state-recognized Patient-Centered Primary Care Home, which means that it offers comprehensive, continuous and coordinated care to patients and their families. "It is integrated medicine," says Hill. "They take a holistic approach to patient care…This type of care is the wave of the future; it's where medicine is going. They listen. They get you the care you need." Read Hill's full story, and to find more coordinated care stories like it, visit the OHA story bank. Oregon Public Broadcasting The Oregonian The Lund Report USA Today Willamette Week OHPB's next meeting Tuesday, February 5, 2013 A new page listing the schedule for all 2013 OHPB meetings is now available. Please note that, aside from September, board meetings now take place on the first Tuesday of each month, instead of the second Tuesday. Stay involved! Connect with us: 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 toward comprehensive health and health care reform in our state. |