| Press Release |
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| August 4, 2009 |
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Governor signs bill to provide every Oregon child access to health care
80,000 uninsured kids will have access to care by end of 2010
(Portland) - Governor Ted Kulongoski today celebrated a major achievement for kids and families across Oregon by signing House Bill 2116, which will expand access to affordable health care for every child in Oregon by the time he leaves office. The Governor also highlighted the success of House Bill 2009, which implements the next steps to reforming Oregon’s health care system to contain costs for all Oregonians.
“Here in Oregon, even in challenging times, we have decided that the status quo – a system that costs too much and covers too few – is unsustainable. We came together to take two big steps down the path to comprehensive health care reform by both expanding coverage and controlling costs,” Governor Kulongoski said. “We do so first for our children, for whom our responsibilities are both medical and moral.”
House Bill 2116, signed into law today, represents one of the most significant measures passed by the Legislature this session. The bill represents the largest expansion of health coverage in Oregon since the creation of the Oregon Health Plan two decades ago – and the conclusion of a years-long effort by Governor Kulongoski to provide every Oregon child with access to health care.
House Bill 2116 provides the funding to cover all children under the age of 19 through the Oregon Health Plan, a cost-share model with employers, or through a newly-created state sponsored private insurance option. Through the cost-share model and state sponsored private insurance option, the state will assist Oregon’s middle-class earning too much to qualify for the OHP, but not enough to purchase private insurance on their own.
For families who earn more than 300% of the federal poverty level, there is no state assistance but they are still eligible to purchase the state sponsored private insurance option to insure their child.
The funding also helps the state provide health coverage to additional 35,000 low-income adults and serve the tens of thousands more vulnerable families who, because of the economic recession, are turning to the state for assistance. All told, more than 200,000 Oregonians will have access to health care by the end of the biennium, reducing the number of uninsured in Oregon by one-third.
“We have been decrying for years the plight of our children without health coverage who are less likely to learn and thrive as they grow,” the Governor said. “Today, with the signing of HB 2116, we move from decrying this problem to executing a solution.”
The Governor today also celebrated the passage of House Bill 2009, a bill that outlines the steps needed to begin to reform Oregon’s health care system. This effort includes increasing the quality and consistency of care by shifting the approach of health care toward an emphasis on prevention, primary care and treatments that are proven to be effective.
The state also will begin work to create an Oregon Health Insurance Exchange, a one-stop shop to compare and purchase health insurance, implement an electronic health records system and a plan for providing and funding access to affordable quality health care for all Oregonians by 2015.
“I can’t overstate the significance – and rarity – of what we’re celebrating today, particularly in these difficult times. Many states have been forced to roll back health care coverage for their citizens, the Governor said. “Together, we have set Oregon on the path to create a world-class health care system that will be a model for the rest of the country.”
Families can find more information and an application at www.oregonhealthykids.gov or by calling 1-877-314-5678.
Contact:
Anna Richter Taylor, 503-378-6169
Jillian Schoene, 503-378-5040
Rem Nivens, 503-378-6496
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