Wallowa County Chieftain
wallowa.com
New transportation
taxes coming in 2018
Four new taxes will greet
drivers and bike riders in the
new year, according to the
Oregon Department of Reve-
nue: bicycle excise tax, vehi-
cle privilege, vehicle use tax
and transit tax.
Most taxes will be col-
lected at the point of sale, but
if they are not, the consumer
is responsible to pay the tax
directly to the state by the
20th of the month following
the purchase.
The bicycle tax is a flat tax
of $15 paid by the consumer
at the point of sale. Only
bikes costing $200 or more
and with wheels 26 inches or
larger are taxed.
The vehicle privilege tax
applies to dealers selling new
vehicles including motorcy-
Q&A
cles and recreational vehicles
in Oregon. The tax is one-half
of one percent of the retail
sales price ($130 tax for a
$26,000 vehicle).
If a dealer doesn’t collect
the tax at the point of sale,
the consumer must report and
pay it directly to the state. The
consumer will then receive a
certificate, which must be pre-
sented to the DMV to register
or title the vehicle in Oregon.
The statewide transit tax
takes effect July 1, 2018. It
will be one-tenth of one per-
cent of the wages of Ore-
gon residents –– regardless
of where they’re working ––
and nonresidents who work
in Oregon. Employers will
deduct, withhold and remit
the tax to the department.
dinated care organizations —
regional networks of OHP
providers.
Continued from Page A1
“No” on the measure, which
would repeal those parts of the
state’s Medicaid law.
Q. Remind me. What’s
Medicaid?
A. Medicaid is a government
healthcare coverage program
for the poor and other qualify-
ing groups. Oregonians earn-
ing up to 138 percent of the
federal poverty level ($16,100
for an individual; $32,900 for
a family of four) are eligi-
ble for the program. In Ore-
gon, the Medicaid program is
known as the Oregon Health
Plan and covers about 1 mil-
lion people, including 400,000
kids.
Q. How is the Oregon
Health Plan financed?
A. Both the state and the fed-
eral government pay for it
with public funds, but the fed-
eral government picks up most
of the tab. Plus, hospitals,
insurers and coordinated care
organizations all pay taxes —
described in the measure as
“assessments” — to the state.
Oregon uses that money to get
matching funding from the
federal government.
Q. How much do hospi-
tals pay?
A. Hospitals pay a 5.3 per-
cent assessment on net reve-
nues, which, once matched by
the feds, is returned to them
as a group and redistributed.
Under the state law passed
earlier this year, they also pay
a .7 percent assessment on net
revenues that is not returned to
them, but put into a state fund
for healthcare.
Q. What does a “yes” vote
mean?
A. A “yes” vote means you
want the state to impose and
keep the nonrefundable .7
percent assessment on hospi-
tals, as well as assessments on
insurers, the Public Employ-
ees Benefits Board and coor-
Q. What does a “no” vote
mean?
A. A “no” vote means you
wish to repeal the nonrefund-
able .7 percent assessment,
and the assessments on insur-
ers, the Public Employees
Benefits Board and coordi-
nated care organizations.
Q. How does this ballot
measure affect people on the
Oregon Health Plan?
A. Hundreds of thousands of
Oregonians gained Medicaid
coverage under the Affordable
Care Act, which allowed states
to provide coverage to peo-
ple making up to 138 percent
of the federal poverty level.
As of November 2016, about
366,000 people were eligible
for OHP under the Affordable
Care Act.
Previously only those mak-
ing up to 100 percent of the
federal poverty level were
considered eligible. But that
group, earning between 100
percent and 138 percent of
the federal poverty level, isn’t
legally required by the federal
government to be covered by
states.
Supporters of Measure 101
say that if it fails, the Legisla-
ture could decide to cut those
people from the health plan to
save the money that the state
government won’t be able to
collect.
Q. If the measure fails,
would lawmakers have
to cut the health plan
budget?
A. No, but proponents note
that faced with funding gaps
in the past, lawmakers have
knocked people off the Ore-
gon Health Plan. “If you are
a Medicaid recipient, this
is about whether you have
access to your health care,”
said Jessica Adamson, a lob-
byist for Providence Health
& Services, which is backing
Measure 101. “This is about
whether or not the funding is
there to fully fund this pro-
To whom it may concern,
On Nov 11th 2017, I entered the land of the Fence
Creek Ranch without permission while hunting elk
in the Chesnimnus unit of Wallowa County. I sincerely
apologize to the landowner and any agents of the
ranch. I would also like to remind other hunters
and visitors to public lands that we must respect
the rights of private land owners at all times. Any
unlawful entrance, regardless of the purpose, upon
such premises will result in prosecution for trespass.
I have learned this lesson first hand and will never
repeat my mistake.
Sincerely, Drew Johnson
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Continued from Page A1
After discussing the
project at various points
throughout the year, plan-
ning begins in earnest in
October.
After tweaking whatever
didn’t work the previous
year, the next step is getting
out the word asking people
to sign up for the program.
The Elks lists a “sug-
gested” date of Nov. 10
for having all applications
returned. Most don’t meet
the deadline. This year, one
request came in after the
delivery date. Morgan said a
box was prepared and deliv-
ered the day after Christmas.
The success of the pro-
motion determines to a large
extent the participation
level. This year’s numbers
were up 25 families from
last year, but still lower than
the average of 150 families,
gram. Anything else besides
Measure 101 is a gamble.
There is no Plan B.”
Opponents counter that
state legislators can find that
money elsewhere in the bud-
get to cover those people.
“This ballot measure isn’t
about whether Medicaid is
good or bad,” said Parrish, the
lawmaker urging a “no” vote.
“It’s about whether we picked
the right funding mechanism
to pay for it.”
Q. I buy my own insur-
ance. Does this affect
how much I pay?
A. Yes. Under the law, insur-
ers will be assessed a 1.5
percent of gross premiums
earned. Premiums on the indi-
vidual market could increase
by 1.5 percent because the
legislation allows insurers to
increase premiums by up to
that amount to offset the tax
that they’ll be paying, oppo-
nents say.
Q. So if the tax fails, my
rates won’t go up?
A. Not necessarily. Support-
ers of Measure 101 say that
expanded Medicaid coverage
reduces demands on costly
emergency care. It also funds
a program called reinsurance
that is designed to hold down
rate increases in premiums
for people who buy their own
insurance.
It essentially acts as insur-
ance for insurers, providing a
pool of money to reimburse
insurers part of the cost of
very expensive procedures. In
2018, the program is holding
rates in Oregon’s individual
health insurance market, on
average, 6 percent lower than
January 3, 2018
according to Morgan.
The application form was
printed in two separate edi-
tions of the Chieftain, and
copies were distributed far
and wide.
The Tree of Giving proj-
ect runs simultaneously,
organized by City of Enter-
prise employees Michele
Young and Lacey McQuead,
along with Department of
Youth Services employees
Mandy Decker and Amy
Stangel. Funds are used for
“special gifts” for seniors
and children.
On Monday prior to the
delivery date, boxes gath-
ered from various points
around the county are dec-
orated. The contents are
secured from donations,
Food City Family Foods
in Wallowa and Dollar
Stretcher in Enterprise.
Safeway participates in a
separate program through
Community Connection.
Next, tables are erected
they would be without reinsur-
ance, according to the Depart-
ment of Consumer and Busi-
ness Services. That’s about
$300 less per year, according
to the “Yes on 101” campaign.
Q. I get insurance through
my employer. Does this
affect how much I’ll pay?
A. If you work for a business
with 50 employees or fewer,
neither outcome of the mea-
sure likely will affect your
rates in 2018, but likely would
in 2019.
Since 2018 rates have
already been approved by the
Oregon Department of Con-
sumer and Business Services,
the Legislature would have
to take action to change those
rates.
Insurers in the small group
market would pay the 1.5 per-
cent tax on gross premiums
earned.
Q. What about big
employers?
A. For Oregonians who are
covered through an employer
with more than 50 employ-
ees, insurance costs will likely
not immediately change due to
either outcome of the measure,
either. The state doesn’t regu-
late rates for large employers.
Some large employers go
out and buy plans from insur-
ers. The state doesn’t regulate
rates for those types of plans,
but it does regulate benefits,
the way policy contracts are
written and the financial sol-
vency of companies offer-
ing plans. Those insurers who
provide plans in the large
group market will pay the 1.5
percent assessment as well if
Measure 101 passes.
throughout Cloverlead Hall,
boxes are set out, and a label
with the address of the fam-
ily to receive it and phone
number is attached.
Nonperishable
food
items are packed first, later
fruits and vegetables.
Delivery day dawns
early. This year, around 28
volunteers began work at
7:30 a.m.
“That’s probably a bit
early,” Morgan said. “Some
folks weren’t up yet when
we arrived.”
The first wave includes
loading a trailer with all of
the baskets designated for
Wallowa families, creat-
ing a central delivery point.
Volunteers work out of the
trailer until everything is
delivered.
Back in Enterprise, vol-
unteers began packing
boxes into their vehicles ––
as many as can be accom-
modated –– and set off to
play Santa Claus. The entire
A7
process was completed by
10 a.m.
Some of the 120 families
are large, some small and
some are singles. One fam-
ily in Lostine included 10
individuals. Four families
included seven, three fami-
lies included six and 26 fam-
ilies had five members each
and 26 families of five.
Morgan reckons 380
individuals were impacted
by the program.
“Most everyone is grate-
ful,” Morgan said. Volun-
teers who meet with com-
plaints are instructed not to
be judgmental, but “be gen-
erous and move on.”
For Morgan, the most
reward part of the project
is getting the community
involved.
“I love working with the
Elks and all we do to put this
on,” he said. “But there are
so many others involved. It
reaffirms that this county is
a generous county.”
Q. My company is self-in-
sured. What can I expect?
A. Some companies — usually
bigger ones — self-insure
and get plans through what’s
called a third party administra-
tor. About 790,000 Oregonians
are enrolled in a plan through a
self-insured employer, accord-
ing to the Oregon Department
of Consumer and Business
Services.
The state doesn’t regulate
any part of those plans due
to federal law. Self-insured
employers are exempt from
paying the state tax on the pre-
miums specified on the ballot.
figure that includes both state
and federal matching funds.
How does this election
affect people on Medicare?
Measure 101 will not have
an effect on Medicare cover-
age. Medicare, the healthcare
coverage program for people
age 65 and older, is funded
solely by the federal govern-
ment and would not be affected
by changes in state policy.
Q. How much does all of
this cost?
A. Oregon’s Medicaid pro-
gram costs $9.3 billion in state
and federal funds per year,
according to the Oregon Sec-
retary of State’s office.
If the measure is over-
turned, legislators would face
an $840 million to $1.3 billion
hole in the Medicaid budget, a
Q. Will the outcome of the
vote settle this issue?
A. No. If Ballot Measure 101
fails in January, legislators will
have to re-balance the budget
during the February special
session. But even if the mea-
sure passes, the funding pro-
visions expire, meaning law-
makers would be debating this
again in 2019.
Q. What about Tricare?
A. Tricare, the health insur-
ance program for military
members, will not be affected
by the insurance tax.
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