HCAO Action Alert: HCAO Activists Needed to Attend Oct 19 Portland City Council Meeting
What: Portland City Council Meeting
Where: Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th Ave, Portland
When: Weds, October 19 9:45 am (arrive by 9:30 am)
Why: Show Support for Portland City Council Passing Resolution To Legislature in Support of Implementation Task Force
Who: Portland Metro Area activists, representatives of member organizations and chapters.
Details: Commissioner Steve Novick has presented a resolution for passage by the Portland City Council based on language submitted by HCAO advising the Oregon legislature to create transparent process to act on the results of the HB 3260/HB 2828 Rand Corporation study of 4 financing models to create universal health care in Oregon.
Please arrive early. We will have 3 scheduled speakers and 3 more can sign up to express their additional organizational support. Activists are encouraged to wear HCAO t-shirts and buttons (no signs).
Send Support Letters to:
Mayor Charlie Hales mayorcharliehales@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Dan Saltzman dan@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Amanda Fritz amanda@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Nick Fish nick@portlandoregon.gov
Commissioner Steve Novick novick@portlandoregon.gov
cc: lee@mainstreetalliance.org
Resolution Language:
RESOLUTION No.
Encourage the Oregon Legislature to create a transparent public process to ensure all Oregon residents have timely access to equitable, comprehensive, high quality, and affordable health care
(Resolution).
WHEREAS, there are many factors that contribute to good health, including the ability to respond to sickness, disease, and injury; and
WHEREAS, it is impossible for an individual to live a healthy life without the ability to access health care; and
WHEREAS, when all members of a community have access to health care, the risk of illness from contagious disease decreases, and employee and student absenteeism is decreased; and
WHEREAS, investment in addressing the social determinants of health and other preventative measures will yield better health outcomes than wasting health care dollars on our current complex billing and administrative systems; and
WHEREAS, a publicly funded universal health care system may help businesses and government employers by reducing costs of employee health insurance, and it may help individuals by disconnecting health care from employment; and
WHEREAS, Oregon law, in ORS 414.018, states, “it is the intention of the Legislative Assembly to achieve the goals of universal access to an adequate level of high quality health care at an affordable cost;” and
WHEREAS, during the 2013 session, the Oregon Legislature adopted HB 3260, which authorized the Oregon Health Authority to use donated funds to conduct a study examining at least four options for financing health care delivery in Oregon, and for each option evaluates the extent to which the option satisfies the criteria included in the bill that are needed for the best health care delivery and financing system; estimates the cost of implementation including anticipated costs from increased services, more patients, new facilities and savings from efficiencies; assesses the impact of implementation on the existing commercial insurance and publicly funded health care systems; estimates the net fiscal impact of implementation on individuals and businesses including the tax implications; assesses the impact of implementation on the economy of Oregon; and estimates the potential savings to local governments and government agencies that currently administer health care programs, provide health care premium subsidies or provide funding for health care services; and
WHEREAS, during the 2015 session, the Oregon Legislature adopted HB 2828, which appropriates $300,000 from the State General Fund to the Oregon Health Authority to contract with a third party to conduct the study outlined in HB 3260, and directs the Oregon Health Authority to complete the final report by November 1, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Oregon Medical Association, Oregon Nurses Association, Oregon Health & Science University, Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, Oregon Public Health Association, Main Street Alliance of Oregon, Health Care for All Oregon, and the Oregon Health Authority all supported HB 3260 in 2013, indicating that there is broad support for this approach to improving health care for Oregonians.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Portland City Council encourages the Oregon Legislature to create a transparent public process for designing a system of affordable health care for families, businesses, and society.
For more information contact
Lee Mercer, HCAO Mobilization Chair, lee@mainstreetalliance.org. (cell) 831-818-5247
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