Oregon

It was in early 2021 that Congressional Democrats passed & President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which among other things dramatically expanded & enhanced the original premium subsidy formula of the Affordable Care Act, finally bringing the financial aid sliding income scale up to the level it should have been in the first place over a decade earlier.

In addition to beefing up the subsidies along the entire 100 - 400% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income scale, the ARPA also eliminated the much-maligned "Subsidy Cliff" at 400% FPL, wherein a household earning even $1 more than that had all premium subsidies cut off immediately, requiring middle-class families to pay full price for individual market health insurance policies.

Here's what the original ACA premium subsidy formula looked like compared to the current, enhanced subsidy formula:

via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), approved section 1115 demonstration amendments that allow, for the first time ever, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of traditional health care practices provided by Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, Tribal facilities, and urban Indian organizations (UIO). Today’s action is expected to improve access to culturally appropriate health care and improve the quality of care and health outcomes for tribal communities in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Oregon, and will support IHS, Tribal, and UIO facilities in serving their patients. 

Via the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation:

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) has finalized the rate decisions for 2025 health insurance for the individual and small group markets. The division reviews and approves rates for these markets through a detailed and transparent public process before they can be charged to policyholders.

This transparent process includes actuarial analysis provided to the public, public hearings, and a public comment period. Annually, insurance companies submit rate filings for the upcoming plan year. These filings are rigorously reviewed by division actuaries during a monthslong public review process. That process is now final and Oregonians will see an average rate increase of 8.3 percent in the individual market and a 12.2 percent increase in the small group markets.

Last fall Oregon moved to the next step on their Basic Health Plan program (via Oregon Public Broadcasting):

Oregon becomes 3rd in nation to seek federal approval for a basic health program

A group of volunteer advisors to the Oregon Health Authority has voted Tuesday to make the state the third in the nation to seek federal approval for a basic health program.

...The Oregon Health Policy Board voted unanimously to approve Oregon’s blueprint application. It was the last step in a lengthy policy-making process needed for state approval of the plan after a task force last year recommended moving forward with it.

OK, I'm back from the Doctors for America conference! I'll be posting a write-up about that soon, but in the meantime I have a backlog of healthcare policy developments to catch up on...

Last fall Oregon moved to the next step on their Basic Health Plan program (via Oregon Public Broadcasting):

Oregon becomes 3rd in nation to seek federal approval for a basic health program

A group of volunteer advisors to the Oregon Health Authority has voted Tuesday to make the state the third in the nation to seek federal approval for a basic health program.

...The Oregon Health Policy Board voted unanimously to approve Oregon’s blueprint application. It was the last step in a lengthy policy-making process needed for state approval of the plan after a task force last year recommended moving forward with it.

Ten years ago, during the very first ACA Open Enrollment Period, Oregon was one of 15 states which attempted to operate their own fully state-based marketplace SBM) under the new law, calling it "Cover Oregon."

Cover Oregon was, along with several of the other original SBMs in Nevada, Maryland, Hawaii and (surprisingly) Massachusetts, a complete and utter failure. They flushed a stunning $248 million down the drain on a website portal which, put simply...didn't work. Like, at all. From April 2014:

Cover Oregon poised to switch to federal insurance exchange

Alex Pettit, the state's top information-technology official, recommended Cover Oregon move to the federal exchange at an advisory committee meeting Thursday.

Oregon should pull the plug on the beleaguered Cover Oregon health insurance exchange and switch to the federal exchange, a technological advisory committee recommended Thursday.

The move is considered almost certain to be adopted by the Cover Oregon board, which meets Friday.

It's been about five months since I last posted about the status of Oregon's pending Basic Health Plan program:

As reported by Megan Messerly of Politico in 2022:

In Oregon, Democrats passed a bill in March to establish a basic health program, the details of which are being ironed out by a task force that began meeting this week. In Kentucky, Republicans approved $4.5 million in state funds this spring to set up a basic health program, which was signed into law by the state’s Democratic governor. An estimated 85,000 Oregonians and at least 37,000 Kentuckians will be eligible to enroll in the plans as soon as next year.

(original post: 5/22/23)

Via the Oregon Dept. of Consumer & Business Services (Division of Financial Regulation):

Salem – Oregon consumers can get a first look at requested rates for 2024 individual and small group health insurance plans, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) announced today.

In the individual market, six companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average 3.5 percent to 8.5 percent increase, for a weighted average increase of 6.2 percent. That average increase is slightly lower than last year's requested weighted average increase of 6.7 percent.

In the small group market, eight companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average 0.8 percent to 12.4 percent increase, for a weighted average increase of 8.1 percent, which is higher than last year's requested 6.9 percent average increase.

About a year ago, I noted that the state of Oregon had passed a bill which, if the federal waiver is approved by the federal government, would make them the third state in the U.S. to establish a Basic Health Plan program under the Affordable Care Act. As reported by Megan Messerly of Politico at the time:

In Oregon, Democrats passed a bill in March to establish a basic health program, the details of which are being ironed out by a task force that began meeting this week. In Kentucky, Republicans approved $4.5 million in state funds this spring to set up a basic health program, which was signed into law by the state’s Democratic governor. An estimated 85,000 Oregonians and at least 37,000 Kentuckians will be eligible to enroll in the plans as soon as next year.

So, I've been combing through a mountain of healthcare & health insurance-related legislation which has been introduced by various state legislators around the country, and this one caught my eye:

OR HB3326

Relating to changing the name of the Oregon Health Authority; declaring an emergency.

The bill summary doesn't provide much more detail:

Changes name of Oregon Health Authority to Oregon Department of Health. Makes conforming changes. Becomes operative on January 1, 2024. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

OK, so it changes the name of the health department and...declares an emergency relating to that? Huh? What?

It was introduced about a month ago by GOP state representative Werner Reschke. It doesn't have any other cosponsors from either party so far.

I decided to take a look at the actual legislative text.