Legislative update

The 2010 session: Primary and rural care loan repayment program expanded

By Martin Taylor, CareOregon Public Policy Manager

The state budget stayed balanced in the 2010 legislative session primarily as a result of ballot measures 66 and 67. These measures affirmed $727 million dollars in new revenue passed by the 2009 Legislature. As you recall, if these measures had failed there would have been more cuts to health benefits under the Oregon Health Plan and to other vital human service programs. Of course, the 2010 short session of the legislature seemed a little anti-climatic to those involved in health care; our victory came on the ballot the month before session. The win was the bad things that didn’t happen. However, there were a few bills of interest that passed:

Primary Care Loan Repayment—House Bill 3639 changes the nature of the rural loan repayment program. This bill splits loan repayment to 75 for primary care and 25 rural underserved care. It expanded the loan repayment program to include nurse practitioners and naturopaths. And it allows the rural health loan program to qualify for federal matching funds by requiring the loan repayment to support providers seeing uninsured and Medicaid patients. However, the program does not receive any funding immediately. This provision changes policy in the event that a future legislature chooses to once again fund the loan repayment program.

High Risk Pool—H.B. 3659 establishes a temporary high-risk pool to provide coverage for uninsured individuals who are not receiving public assistance. The bill is contingent on receipt of federal funds and provides the Oregon Medical Insurance Pool Board authority to establish eligibility criteria, benefits and cost.

Medical assistance for young adults formerly in foster care—H.B. 3664 permits medical assistance to be provided to people over 18 years of age who were previously in foster family homes or licensed child-caring agencies or institutions. This assistance is contingent on approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Martin Taylor