VOTE: NO
Died in Committee
Declared an Emergency
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2022R1/Measures/Overview/HB4039
Modifies financial requirements for coordinated care organization expenditures on social determinants of health and health equity, and to annually report expenditures to the Legislature.
Personal Choice and Responsibility
OHA should not receive any more power or money for data collection to use against healthy people. They have abused their power and this kind of power needs to stay in the hands of the legislature.
Fiscal Responsibility
Requires Oregon Health Authority to expend on social determinants of health and health equity amount equal to or greater than three percent of authority’s expenses in administering fee-for-service program in previous calendar year. Creating a minimum required expenditure in statute is acceptable, but requiring OHA to invest a minimum amount of general fund expenditures in similarly vague categories illustrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of government. The State of Oregon already spends vast amounts on “investments in infrastructure that benefit the community as a whole.” Moreover, the state’s investment in a large variety of projects aimed at health improvements is already planned, executed, and reviewed in public processes and forums. In contrast, CCO investments are not thoroughly vetted in public processes. The expenditure and reporting requirement in HB 4039 is duplicative and unnecessary.
Limited Government
Prohibits authority from adopting rules that restrict coordinated care organization distributions or other expenditures above 200 percent of minimum required risk-based capital. Restricting OHA from adopting rules is a short-sighted move that will result in, at best, the collection of excessive wealth inside a CCO, and at worst, the transfer of that wealth to out-of-state-investors. CCOs are entirely resourced with government funds in order to provide healthcare to the poorest in our state. There is such an excess of funds that a CCO has more than double what is needed, the state should be able to restrict those funds and ensure that those tax dollars are reinvested in Oregon communities.
There is no such thing as health equity. How can you guarantee anyone’s outcome from health issues? Not everyone needs the same care. This is just another way to spend money.
Giving more power to an agency that’s already out of control is not in the best interest of Oregonians. Once again, the word “equity” is being used to pander to Democrat constituency groups based on race, gender, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. We already have Medicare and Medicaid, we don’t need more carve outs for special groups.