local news
Rates
Deputy Chief Ferraris
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that much harder for individual and small
businesses to afford.”
Take the case of Regence, a non-profit
health insurer, like many of the large health
insurers in the state. According to the com-
pany’s filing, they are now operating at a
2.1 percent loss. If the rate increase goes
through, they would operate at a 1.1 percent
profit. Claims costs would change from
80.3 percent to 79.2 percent. Much of the
increase in costs, according to Regence’s
filing, comes from increased medical and
prescription
costs.
“We share
our members
concern about
rising health
care costs,”
Regence offi-
cials told The
S k a n n e r
News
in
response to
emailed ques-
tions. “Premium increases are difficult for
the entire community, but especially those
members who must bear the cost of individ-
ual policies. At Regence we are focused on
increasing efficiency, reducing administra-
tive costs and holding true to our nonprofit
mission as part of a larger strategy to reduce
costs to members.”
Since OSPIRG began its Health Insurance
Rate Watch project in the fall of 2010,
they’ve looked exclusively at rate increases
that fall under the purview of the Insurance
Division – those policies affecting small
employers and individual plans.
“In each of those cases, we didn’t find that
the rate increase has been adequately justi-
fied,” Etherton said. “Sometimes it’s a mat-
ter of missing information or the informa-
tion provided not making the case adequate-
ly. So far the insurance division has agreed
with us and pushed back on the insurer and
gotten more information, and in two cases
reduced the rate quite significantly. That
said, these rate increases are still really high
and we need to ensure that Oregon regula-
tors are doing whatever they can to protect
the public.”
It’s unclear how a system of mandatory
public meetings and hearings would change
the way health insurance companies file for
rate increases.
Regence welcomes the change.
“The regulatory and political process
around rates, as well as the economy of
health care in general, is complicated,”
according to Regence. “As a result,
Regence remains dedicated to transparency
throughout our filing process. We encour-
age the public and our members to ask ques-
tions and learn about how rates are set, and
what we are doing at Regence to address the
challenge of affordability for everyone.”
OSPIRG also supports a more robust pub-
lic involvement in the rate process.
“It’s absolutely critical for the public to
turn out to the public hearing and have their
voices heard on what rate increases like this
one mean for their families, for the afford-
ability of health care,” Etherton said. “Are
they going to have to buy down the rates,
get a bigger deductible … what kind of
impact will that have on family finances? I
think it’s really important for the insurance
division to hear very specifically what the
impact will be, so they can make a determi-
nation.”
Currently Senate Bill 717 is moving its
way through the Oregon Senate and is cur-
rently assigned to the Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Transportation and
Economic Development. To read a com-
plete filing of Regence Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Oregon’s rate request, visit
http://insurance.oregon.gov/ and click on
the FAQ’s of Regence’s Rate Request link.
To see a breakdown of all proposed, dis-
approved and approved rate increases visit
the Insurance Division’s filings pages at
http://www4.cbs.state.or.us/ex/ins/filing/in
dex.cfm?fuseaction=home.show filings
“The pilot partners represent a cross sec-
tion of folks who typify the kind of new
online reporting that’s changing traditional
definitions of news,” Swart says. “This is a
unique opportunity to see if we can create a
cooperative model that will help us all to
flourish.”
He says getting new and old media to
“The digital age has changed how and
from whom people get their news,” she
says.
“This program tries to stretch how the
newspaper and the website deliver the news
by offering different voices from our news
partners.”
Krawczak said that as part of a willing-
already being realized,” said Lynnette
Fussilier of Neighborhood Notes, which
covers all 95 Portland neighborhoods. Over
the last two weeks, story excerpts and links
to their stories have been posted on
OregonLive. “The Oregonian team has gra-
ciously shared their expertise in copyright
matters, connected us with freelance
reporters, and even helped us with research.
We anticipated that connecting with the
Oregonian would be difficult due to the size
of the organization, but this hasn’t been the
case at all.”
Working with new media reporters as
peers is part of what makes the ONN part-
nership more than just a set of weblinks.
“The exciting thing is that we all get to
learn from each other,” Swart says. “The
Oregonian can teach classic journalism, but
on other things, like how to navigate the
new online news environment, our partners
might have a lot they can teach us.
“We’re hoping that in the long run, the
partners and The Oregonian can all learn to
work, and evolve together.”
Find ONN Partner story links posted daily
throughout Oregonlive, or go to the ONN
page to learn more.
‘Health care costs for our
individual pool are
increasing, while the number
of people sharing the burden
of those costs is shrinking’
PHOtO cOuRtESY Of SalEM POlIcE DEPaRtMENt
ment levels.”
This will be the fifth year that Regence
Blue Cross Blue Shield has increased rates
by double digits. Every year since 2007, the
non-profit health insurance company
increased rates by 17 percent, 24 percent, 17
percent and 16 percent, respectively.
According to Regence spokesperson Scott
Burton, the company is doing it all it can to
contain costs.
“Health care costs for our individual pool
are increasing, while the number of people
sharing the bur-
den of those
costs is shrink-
ing,” according
to Regence. “As
a result, rates
continue to rise.
The rates we
have requested
in this filing are
a direct reflec-
tion of these
costs.”
The Oregon Insurance Division – which
operates out of the Division of Consumer
and Business Services — does take into
account the effect a premium increase will
have on consumers, although they rarely
deny a rate increase request outright. More
often, according to the agency, a rate
request will be reduced, from, say, 22 per-
cent to 15 percent.
Most recently, the division downgraded a
request by the for-profit company
HealthNet of Oregon.
Last year, the division reduced rate
requests in about half of all cases, on aver-
age by about 4 percent. Changes in state law
that went into effect in April 2010 now
allow the division to take into account a
company’s overall profitability when deter-
mining whether a rate increase would be
appropriate.
“The division has new tools available and
we are using them to carefully scrutinize
each and every rate filing to achieve the
maximum savings for consumers,” said
Teresa Miller, Insurance Division adminis-
trator in a statement. “Having said that,
rates must still cover medical claims, which
continue to increase and make insurance
Deputy Police Chief James Ferraris of the Salem Police Department was
sworn in by Chief Jerry Moore in a ceremony held in the Salem City
Council Chambers on Monday morning. Deputy Police Chief Ferraris has
been in law enforcement for over 32 years, most recently as the
Commander of the North Precinct of the Portland Police Bureau. “we are
very happy to add a person of Jim’s qualifications and character to our
family, and we’re looking forward to benefiting from his leadership and
experience,” Moore said.
News
continued from page 1
source in referring readers to quality local
reporting done by other folks as well.”
The project places a ‘hub’ page on the
Oregonian’s website, Oregonlive.com, with
links to the partner websites.
In addition, where Oregonian staff may
cover specific issue relating to its media
partners, OregonLive will post links to
related stories on its partner media websites.
“The idea is when you come to
OregonLive you’re going to find quality,
whether we’re doing it or whether we’re
pointing you to someone else.”
Media partners are: BikePortland, one of
the region’s most successful topic blogs;
The Lund Report, an award-winning health-
care watchdog site; Oregon Capitol News,
the Cascade Policy Institute’s independent
reporting project; The Skanner News, one
of oldest African-American-owned publica-
tions in the state; and the geographic niche
sites Neighborhood Notes, Clark County
Blog, MyEugene, North Coast Oregon and
The Yaquina Wavelength.
The pilot phase of the program is funded
in part by a one-year grant from American
University’s J-Lab Institute for Interactive
Journalism.
‘The pilot partners represent a cross section of
folks who typify the kind of new online reporting
that’s changing traditional definitions of news’
work together is not without its challenges.
“Many of these sites could be considered
competitors, some are advocates for their
communities, others don’t easily fit the tra-
ditional definition of journalism,” said
JoLene Krawczak, The Oregonian
Managing Editor for Features and
Communities. “But that’s really the whole
point.
ness to work with non-traditional news
makers, the ONN will offer training and
workshops to partners aimed at connecting
with the professional resources of The
Oregonian and helping to pass along the
trusted values, skills and traditions of clas-
sic newsroom journalism.
“The benefits of the ONN partnerships are
The Portland Skanner Page 3