Health Care Transformation bill passes Oregon House
HB 3650 was approved by a 59 to 1 vote of the House on June 27th. A Senate vote is expected before the Legislature adjourns on June 30th. The Salem Statesman-Journal reports, “The bill will focus efforts on the most chronically ill of Oregon Health Plan recipients — those who account for a disproportionate share of rising medical costs — and emphasize prevention of disease and primary care.” But we also know that while this delivery system design begins with the people on both Medicare and Medicaid it doesn’t end there. Eventually we will all be using this new delivery system, and it will only be better if we make it so.
» More info and videos on our HB 3650 web page
What’s Next for Transformation?
The Oregon Health Policy Board met by phone on June 23rd to hear an update from Bruce Goldberg and Tina Edlund (OHA leadership) for legislative updates and an outline of OHPB work looking forward. Presuming that HB 3650 passes, the Board will be launching four short-term committees to make recommendations on:
- criteria for Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs)
- integrating care for enrollees who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid
- metrics for CCOs – how outcomes will measured
- global budgets for CCOs – one of several pieces that will need federal approval
The timeline for setting up these committees and getting the work done will be brisk, beginning after legislative approval of HB 3650.
Why should you care about Coordinated Care Organizations?
The Health Care Transformation will start with people on Medicare and Medicaid (the Oregon Health Plan) but it is not stopping with them. Their needs cross the medical, dental, mental health and long-term care systems, plus more. If CCOs can successfully manage to coordinate and integrate care for people with complex conditions, it will become the template for how we can better organize care for all. It will lay out the health care delivery system that all of us will eventually use. As was reported in the Salem Statesman-Journal, “Rep. Tina Kotek, D-Portland, said the bill also intends to be a model not just for the Oregon Health Plan…”
As CCOs begin to form, they will not be limited to traditional medical providers, but will be forced to reach out to and include public health, school nurses, safety net clinics, and others in their regions. Optimal data and information management will be critical. And they will be accountable for improving health and controlling costs, knowing that their action will impact the health of Oregonians, either for good and for not. And we are creating this here in Oregon, moving first as we have often done before.
What’s next for the Health Insurance Exchange?
Since SB 99 (the Exchange bill) has passed both the House and the Senate, the Governor’s office is expected to announce soon the process for submitting nominations for the Health Insurance Exchange Board. That could happen any day now, and again the turnaround between announcement and deadline will be pretty swift. Members of the exchange Board will need to be approved by the Senate, a process that will likely happen this fall.
Toss your hat into the ring
Interested in putting your name in, or have a suggestion of someone who should be considered for the board or committee positions? A great place to start is here, a web page that provides background on executive appointments by the governor. There is also a link to current vacancies here (PDF). These are great opportunities to become part of the decision making process in Oregon.
While the OHPB met for less than an hour this month, they anticipate their July 12th meeting to be 4 hours long, so it will provide a great overview of the work ahead.
Summer Road Trip
Route of OHSU med students' bike trip
Summer is upon us. Last summer Matt and Liz went on the road to eastern Oregon and the southern coast. This summer medical students in the family practice program at OHSU are biking around Oregon, talking to and about providers in rural areas of the state. Their ride is sponsored by the Oregon Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP), to which one of our CLC members belongs. They’ll team up with local docs along the way and present a 6-minute video as part of a community meeting in towns along the way.
» More info & video on the OAFP website
Recent Comments