4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ DECEMBER 30, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
‘No’ on Measure 101 will raise healthcare costs
(Editor’s Note: Ballots for
the Jan. 23 Special Election
should be arriving, with the
deadline for voter registration
ending this Tuesday, Jan. 2, at
11:59 p.m. See details on page
A3. Viewpoint submissions
on this and other topics are
always welcome as part of
our goal to encourage com-
munity discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
A
“No” vote to
Measure
101
would repeal parts
of House Bill 2391, which
passed the Oregon House
and Senate with bi-partisan
support and a required
3/5ths majority.
While HB2391 funds the
Oregon Health Plan (OHP),
it also promotes reinsur-
ance “stability” efforts to
encourage insurance carri-
ers to offer policies in more
areas, with reduced premi-
um increases.
Supporters of a “Yes”
vote on M101 include
numerous medical, hospi-
tal, doctor and nursing
associations, such as the
Oregon Association of
Hospitals and Health
Systems (43 hospitals and
provider centers), the
Oregon Medical
Association, AARP, the
Oregon League of Women
Voters, and the Oregon
School Boards Association.
Even Republican Ted
Ferrioli, the former GOP
Senate Minority Leader,
supported HB 2391.
The initial petitioners for
the upcoming Measure 101
special election consisted
of just three GOP legisla-
tors.
A “No” vote on M101
could roll back healthcare
coverage through the
Oregon Health Plan (OHP),
which currently covers 1 in
4 Oregonians. OHP’s
broad-based coverage pro-
vides families and children
earlier and cheaper primary
and preventative health-
care, which minimizes later
and more expensive ER
care and hospital visits.
Since 2012, Oregon’s
Medicare, Tri-Care
(Veterans) and group and
self-insured plans governed
by ERISA.
HB2391 then provides
GUEST VIEWPOINT
B Y R AND D AWSON
R ETIRED I NSURANCE L ITIGATION A TTORNEY
D R . J OHN E GAR
D OCTOR OF I NTERNAL M EDICINE
uninsured rate decreased
from 20 percent to only 5
percent of the population.
Today, 95 percent of adults
and 98 percent of children
have health coverage in
Oregon. This decrease in
those who are uninsured
benefits all Oregonians
since hospitals, care facili-
ties and providers no
longer need to shift costs of
uncompensated care to
other insurers, which in
turn raises premiums for
everyone.
Expansion of OHP came
after 2012, when Oregon
opted to expand Medicaid
on the offer of 100 percent
federal financing and no
state-matching funds. Now,
for 2017, Oregon must pro-
vide 5 percent of funding,
and approximately 10 per-
cent by 2020.
Any “matching funds”
raised via taxes or assess-
ments must meet federal
fairness standards, and “be
broad based and uniform
across sectors.”
Retaining HB2391 col-
lects a 0.7 to 1.5 percent
charge on the revenue
made by hospitals, clinics
and CCOs.
Another 30 percent of
additional needed funds are
raised by assessing a 1.5
percent premium charge on
health insurance policies in
all individual and group
markets, except where
barred by federal law.
Those barred include
return revenue incentives
for these providers, who
document improved care
delivery to patients by pro-
viding “enhanced perform-
ance” payments.
A “No” vote to M101
eliminates $210 to $320
million in HB2391 state
revenue, and the matching
$1 billion federal funding
for OHP in the 2017-2019
budget. It also would mean
future years would lose bil-
lions of dollars in federal
matching funds.
A “No” vote also imme-
diately force the Oregon
Legislature into a February
special session to consider
possible major reductions
— or alternative major
funding sources — for the
Oregon Health Plan, poten-
tially impacting over 1 mil-
lion Oregonians, including
400,000 children.
Any alternative funding
requires a 3/5th Legislative
majority vote, in an
increasingly polarized
political setting.
Beyond OHP, a “No”
vote
also
eliminates
HB2391’s reinsurance pro-
gram, destabilizing
Oregon’s health insurance
market.
Before HB 2391, several
Oregon counties appeared
to have no carriers for 2018
health exchange insurance
plans.
Recent Congressional
failure to continue reinsur-
ance stability funding con-
tributed to carrier uncer-
tainty and “less choice” for
consumers.
The
Director
of
Communications for the
Dept. of Consumer and
Business Services person-
ally confirmed that the
newly-substituted State
reinsurance
“stability”
efforts in HB 2391 assisted
carriers to offer plans to
help assure every county
had at least one carrier.
In turn, carriers must
accept 7.5 percent reduc-
tions on any annual
requested premium
increase. As a result, the
family purchaser of “indi-
vidual” market policies
will see 6 percent net pre-
mium decreases in what
carriers otherwise would
have charged after allowing
for any 1.5 percent premi-
um increase.
OHP,
assisted
by
HB2391, puts Oregon in
the forefront of healthcare
system stability. In 2013,
more
than
320,000
Oregonians with a job still
lacked health insurance —
more than 1 of every 6
workers.
Since then, the number
of uninsured working
Oregonians has dropped by
more than half.
In the absence of serious
consideration for a single-
payer system organized
around the rational effi-
ciencies of a single risk-
pool, a “Yes” vote on
Measure 101 is the only
way to assure healthcare
continues for 1-in-4 of our
fellow Oregonians and
their families.
Rand Dawson is a Siltcoos res-
ident with long interest in health
care reform. He is a retired litiga-
tion attorney who also represent-
ed insurance companies.
Dr. John Egar is a practicing
Internal Medicine Doctor in
Florence, for many years, who is
active in healthcare reform.
Dear Secret Santa,
Thank you for paying my electric
bill on Dec. 1.
Your gift let me do something
nice for someone else.
Thanks again, and Happy New
Year.
—Ivy Medow
Florence
W HERE ARE THE ACCUSED ?
After reading the Letter to the
Editor by David T. Eckhardt
(“Respect
Rights
Under
Constitution,” Dec. 27), I must com-
ment on his statement that “Al
Franken, who I thought would have
been better at catching dogs than in
the Senate.”
I think Franken was a good sena-
tor, but if he could have been a bet-
ter dog catcher possibly he could
have caught Trump for his sexual
harassment of women before he
became president.
I also want to respond to his state-
ment that the #MeToo movement
has allowed accusers to make accu-
sations that are decades old and how
“... it is not right if they did, but are
not given the chance for their day in
court...”
I ask you this question: Did the
children sexually abused over
decades by Catholic priests get their
day in court and where are the
accused?
—Win Jolley
Florence
I S P ORT C OMMISSION ’ S
EXISTENCE JUSITFIED ?
I read the story “Port Moves
Forward on Longstanding Issues”
(Dec. 23) with great anticipation
about hearing some good news
regarding the Port of Siuslaw.
However, after carefully reading
the article, I was not surprised to
learn little has changed as to the
overall financial condition of the
Port. Yes, it was good to hear the
FEMA erosion funded grant project
was off to a shaky start, unfortunate-
ly with more questions than
answers.
Whichever way you look at our
little port, there seems to be a con-
stant drip, drip, drip of taxpayers’
money with no payback. It seems
what we can expect is a continued
downward spiral in the maintenance
and replacement of capital assets.
This ongoing financial erosion is
directly attributable to the changing
times surrounding the Port’s origi-
nal mission: Marine related com-
merce.
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
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the press, or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.
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LETTERS
P AYING IT FORWARD
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
Over the past 100-plus years since
the Port’s inception, there has been a
steady withering away of the eco-
nomic drivers justifying its exis-
tence. Two of those drivers, the tim-
ber and commercial fishing indus-
tries, have dwindled to a shadow of
their former selves, resulting in a
Port under tremendous financial
duress with little hope of replace-
ment industries and revenue.
As a former Port Commissioner
and now a citizen, I clearly see it’s
time for the Port to “come hard
about” and re-think its purpose.
The Port Commission requested
ideas from its citizens. But when an
informed citizen suggested the Port
explore privatizing the campground,
there was little to no discussion.
Without a new plan or approach
and at the present rate of financial
hemorrhage, bankruptcy of the Port
is not an unrealistic outcome. Its
continued existence may no longer
be justified or relevant to our com-
munity. Perhaps its assets would be
better utilized by other public/pri-
vate entities?
I hope the New Year brings about
an epiphany regarding how the Port
of Siuslaw can best serve its citi-
zens.
—Bill Fleenor
Mapleton
WHERE TO WRITE
Pres. Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments:
202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line:
503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office
Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office
Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-
228-3997
541-465-6750
www.merkley.senate.gov
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio
( 4 th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609
541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan
( Dist. 5 )
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@
state.or.us
State Rep. Caddy
McKeown
( Dist. 9 )
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email: rep.caddymckeown
@state.or.us
West Lane County
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email:
Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us