A10
LOCAL/REGIONAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Thousands likely to Wyden announces veterans-focused town halls
face sticker shock
for health insurance
Chieftain staff
By LYNNE TERRY
Oregon Capital Chronicle
SALEM — More than
300,000 Oregonians who
buy health insurance for
themselves or through a
small group plan are likely
to see a spike in premiums
next year.
The health insurance
companies that off er plans
on the individual market-
place and those that off er
group plans are seek-
ing average rate increases
approaching 7%, accord-
ing to the state Department
of Consumer and Business
Services, which regulates
health insurers.
In the individual mar-
ket, the requested rate
increases for 2023 range
from 2.3% to 12.6%,
with a weighted aver-
age increase of 6.7%, the
department said. That
means a 40-year-old with a
mid-range plan could pay
as much as $507 a month
if the rates are approved.
In the small group
market, the nine compa-
nies off ering plans asked
for increases from 0%
to 11.6%, or as much as
$446 a month for premi-
ums, the department said.
In comparison, the cost
of plans in eff ect this year
barely budged from 2021,
going up by a weighted
average of about 1.5% in
the individual and group
markets.
The insurers said infl a-
tion, a rise in medical costs
and changes in enrollment
necessitated the increases,
according to the depart-
ment. Health care costs in
the United States, which
spends a larger share of
its gross domestic prod-
uct on health care than
any other industrialized
country, rose nearly 5% in
2019, nearly 10% in 2020
and nearly 7% last year.
The state is trying to curb
increases and has a goal of
a yearly rise up to 3.4%.
That ceiling is in eff ect for
Medicaid and state-paid
health insurance plans,
but it is not mandatory for
commercial insurers.
The department has
two months to review and
approve rates for 2023.
The public will be able to
comment online later this
month about them.
The public comment
period starts later this
month and runs to July
7 online. There will be
public hearings online
on July 27 and 28. Go to
oregonhealthrates.org for
information.
Besides potential rate
hikes, consumers will be
hit with lower subsidies:
Boosted subsidies from
the federal government in
place for 2021 and this year
will end at the beginning
of 2023. They have cut
premiums by an average
of 46%. That enabled peo-
ple who earned between
$13,590 and $27,180 a
year to buy a low-end plan
for $1 a month.
The department said
it could be worse. With-
out the state’s reinsurance
plan, which uses federal
money to reduce premium
costs, the rates would
increase another 6%.
Insurance Commissioner
Andrew Stolfi said the pro-
gram has kept premiums
reasonable and given Ore-
gonians choice.
“Oregon continues to
have a strong and com-
petitive insurance market-
place, with four carriers
off ering plans statewide
and Oregonians in most
(of) our counties having
fi ve or six companies to
choose from,” Stolfi said
in a statement.
Stolfi encouraged con-
sumers to comment on the
plans and prices and par-
ticipate in virtual hearings
on July 27 and 28. During
the hearings, each insurer
will give a presentation
about its rate requests,
answer questions from the
department and listen to
the public.
“We look forward to a
thorough public review of
these fi lings as we work to
establish next year’s health
insurance rates,” Stolfi
said.
The department will
make a preliminary rate
decision in early July,
with a fi nal decision in
early August.
WASHINGTON — U.S.
Sen Ron Wyden announced
in a press release on Tues-
day, May 31, the fi rst of three
online town halls for East-
ern Oregon veterans, their
families and veterans service
providers to ask top Veter-
ans Administration offi cials
health care questions, includ-
ing about the agency’s pro-
posals to reduce physical and
mental health services in the
region.
The fi rst veterans-focused
town hall meeting for Uma-
tilla, Union, Wallowa, Baker
and Morrow counties is
scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on
Saturday, June 4.
The town hall follows a
letter the Democratic sena-
FOR THE RECORD
MAY 23
12:07 a.m. — Report
of suspicious person in
Enterprise.
9:05 a.m. — Residential
outlet fi re reported in rural
Enterprise.
9:23 a.m.
—
Theft
reported in rural Troy. Another
theft report taken by Wallowa
County Sheriff ’s Offi ce.
9:37 a.m. — Found white
bulldog in Enterprise.
11:53 a.m. — Request for
ambulance in rural Joseph.
Search and Rescue activated.
12:19 p.m. — Report of
threats in the city of Enterprise.
12:34 p.m. — Road hazard
reported in rural Joseph.
12:36 p.m. — Information
from rural Enterprise. Caller
contacted and questions were
answered.
12:49 p.m. — Follow-up
investigation in Joseph; dep-
uty spoke with family.
2:59 p.m. — Resident con-
tact in Enterprise.
3:13 p.m. — Offi cer con-
tact in city of Enterprise.
10:04 p.m. — Report of
disturbance in Enterprise.
MAY 24
12:09 a.m. — Agency
assist in Lostine. Enterprise
Police Department assisting
WCSO on a suspicious vehicle.
2:47 a.m. — After a report
of a suspicious vehicle in Los-
tine, the WCSO arrested Jer-
emy K. Matte, 33, of Elgin, on
a Union County failure-to-ap-
pear warrant and transported
him to the Union County Jail.
1:29 p.m. — Civil dispute
reported in Wallowa.
6:10 p.m. — Traffi c com-
plaint in rural Enterprise.
6:52 p.m.
—
Vehicle
tor wrote earlier this month
about VA recommendations
that the Veterans Adminis-
tration Medical Center in
Walla Walla, Washington,
be reclassifi ed to a commu-
nity-based outpatient clinic
and to move its 31-bed res-
idential rehabilitation treat-
ment program 180 miles
north to Spokane.
“The message I heard
consistently at my recent
town halls in Eastern Oregon
made it clear that veterans
have lacked a real opportu-
nity to share their legitimate
concerns about how these
proposed changes will reduce
access to both physical and
mental health care,” Wyden
said in the release. “Veter-
ans deserve topnotch care
here at home thanks to their
service, and I’m committed
to working with them and
the VA through these veter-
ans-only town halls to brain-
storm solutions to secure that
quality and accessible care.”
The VA already has a
community-based outpatient
clinic in La Grande, which is
frequently used by veterans
in the rural region. The pro-
posed changes to the Walla
Walla center would make
it similar to the La Grande
clinic, and local veterans
who need services beyond
the outpatient clinic would
have to travel to Spokane
instead. Wyden has cited
winter conditions, lack of
public transit and weath-
er-related highway closures
as reasons for concern over
the proposed limitations of
the Walla Walla clinic.
In a letter addressed to
Dr. Teresa Boyd of the VA
Northwest Health Network
Offi ce and Walla Walla
VAMC Director Scott Kelter,
Wyden wrote that he fi nds
these changes “particularly
troubling to my constituents
in Oregon, who often trek
across state lines to receive
crucial care from the VA,”
he wrote. “Adding 180 miles
to their commute will eff ec-
tively cut off access to behav-
ioral health and substance
use treatment services.”
Wyden, Kelter and Boyd
will participate in the town
hall. To link to submit ques-
tions is https://bit.ly/3M-
28YIe. The link to watch the
June 4 meeting is https://bit.
ly/38RQMnb.
parked in restricted area.
7:26 p.m. — Alarm sound-
ing in Joseph.
9:32 p.m.
—
Vehicle
impounded for no insurance.
5:01 p.m.
—
Isaiah
Nathaniel Wood, 21, of Elgin,
was arrested by the WCSO on
a misdemeanor charge of driv-
ing while suspended. Wood
was cited and released.
5:41 p.m. — Theft com-
plaint in Enterprise.
8:12 p.m. — Alarm sound-
ing in Joseph.
8:26 p.m.
—
Theft
reported in Enterprise.
10:06 p.m. — Traffi c stop
in Enterprise; warning.
10:18 p.m. — Traffi c stop
in Enterprise; warning.
10:40 p.m. — Colleen Hig-
gins of Joseph was arrested by
the EPD during a traffi c stop in
Joseph.
11:59 p.m. — Report of
someone screaming in the
street in Enterprise; unable to
locate by police.
reported in Joseph.
11:32 a.m. — Public assist
in Joseph.
12:59 p.m. — Dog as a
public nuisance complaint in
Enterprise.
3:29 p.m. — Domestic
reported in Wallowa.
4 p.m. — WCSO agency
assist with Wallowa Valley Cen-
ter for Wellness in Wallowa.
5:33 p.m. — At a traffi c
stop in Wallowa, WCSO issued
a warning.
5:58 p.m. — At a traffi c
stop in rural Enterprise, EPD
issued a warning.
8:22 p.m. — At a traffi c
stop in rural Lostine, WCSO
issued a warning.
8:40 p.m. — At a traffi c
stop in Enterprise, EPD issued
a warning.
8:46 p.m. — At a traffi c
stop in rural Wallowa, WCSO
issued a warning.
8:51 p.m. — At a traffi c
stop in Enterprise, EPD issued
a warning.
MAY 25
12:01 p.m. — Noninjury
traffi c crash reported in Hells
Canyon.
12:42 p.m. — James
Michael Hansen, 70, of Joseph
was issued a citation for reck-
less driving in rural Wallowa.
4:41 p.m. — Civil dispute
in the city of Enterprise.
5:52 p.m. — Loose cattle
in Joseph.
8:33 p.m. — Black Angus
bull in the highway; referred
to Oregon State Police.
10:09 p.m. — Report of
suspicious vehicle in rural
Joseph.
10:54 p.m. — Firearms
complaint in Joseph.
MAY 26
1:54 a.m. — Report of two
overdue motorists in rural Wal-
lowa County (Imnaha area).
3:45 a.m. — Report of a
motor vehicle accident in rural
Enterprise.
7:48 a.m. — Dog as a
public nuisance reported in
Wallowa.
10:05 a.m. — Report of
assault in Wallowa.
11:28 a.m. — Report of
loose cattle in rural Enterprise.
12:54 p.m. — Public assist
in rural Enterprise.
12:55 p.m.
—
Theft
reported in rural Joseph.
1:29 p.m. — Shane Hood,
35 of Winlock, Washington,
was arrested by the Union
County Sheriff ’s Offi ce on a
Wallowa County Commu-
nity Corrections Detainer for
probation violation. Origi-
nal charge of fourth-degree
assault.
1:56 p.m. — Public assist
in Joseph.
RILYN KIRKL he A r N fin D al
OF
THE
day to remember in
Rilyn Kirkland had a May 25. The senior standout
on
home softball game lley softball team played a major
Va
on, going
for the Wallowa
9-7 victory over Dayt
role in the Outlaws’ home runs, a double, five runs
4-for-4 with three Her play helped the Outlaws
scored and four RBIs. st playoff win on the softball
to their fir
ars
diamond in eight ye
roudly
MAY 27
8:24 a.m. — Trespass
reported in Wallowa.
8:43 a.m.
—
Found
female Airedale terrier in rural
Enterprise.
10:39 a.m. — Agency
assist in rural Enterprise.
3:20 p.m. — Public assist
in Enterprise.
8:19 p.m. — Report of a
commercial security alarm in
Enterprise; all clear.
8:51 p.m. — Vicki Riv-
erman, 67, of Wallowa, was
arrested by the WCSO after
a report of a disturbance in
Wallowa on charges of third-
and fourth-degree assault
and menacing. She was trans-
ported to the Umatilla County
Jail.
11:35 p.m. — Traffi c stop
in rural Joseph; warning.
MAY 28
12:15 a.m. — Traffi c stop in
rural Wallowa; warning.
9:31 a.m. — Road hazard
reported in rural Imnaha.
9:51 a.m. — Welfare check
requested at Wallowa Lake.
11:16 a.m. — Harassment
reported in Enterprise.
11:24 a.m. — Dead deer
FEEL THE SPEED,
EVEN AT PEAK TIMES.
MAY 29
3:56 a.m. — Report of
road hazard in rural Enterprise.
4:15 a.m. — Report of road
hazard in rural Enterprise.
9:49 a.m. — Traffi c com-
plaint in Enterprise.
1:11 p.m. — Criminal mis-
chief reported at Wallowa
Lake.
3:14 p.m. — Traffi c com-
plaint in rural Wallowa.
4:34 p.m. — At a traffi c
stop in Lostine, WCSO issued
a warning.
5:26 p.m.
—
Found
dog near Red Hill Lookout.
Reunited with owner.
8:38 p.m. — At a traf-
fi c stop in Enterprise, WCSO
issued a warning.
8:51 p.m. — Theft reported
in rural Lostine.
9:06 p.m. — At a traffi c
stop in Enterprise, EPD issued
a warning for no lighting on a
trailer.
9:45 p.m. — Agency assist
in Enterprise.
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