A public option bill could lower health care costs for Oregonians

PORTLAND — As the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of Oregonians — and people around the world — over the past year, it’s never been more clear how valuable health care is. However, the average health insurance premium has risen more than 71 percent in Oregon since 2014. That’s why OSPIRG has launched Voices for Better Care, focused on sharing the stories of Oregonians who need and support better health care options in the state.

Lindsey Grayzel, co-owner of ReRack in Portland, shared her story of running a small business during a pandemic: “Over time, the conditions of our group plan have gotten much worse, while the premiums have steadily risen year after year. Our current plan still covers a visit to the doctor with a copay, but any lab work, imaging, or simple office procedure must be applied to our deductible, which is now $3,500 per person.” Grayzel also recognized the difficulty other businesses had in balancing that cost this past year. “We consider ourselves very fortunate, as many businesses have simply failed. Many people have lost their employment and their health insurance.”

“Between the increasing cost of insurance premiums, high deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses, health care simply costs too much for too many of our neighbors,” said Maribeth Guarino, OSPIRG’s Health Care Advocate. “In the past few months, we’ve spoken with hundreds of Oregonians about their health care situations, and many have taken advantage of this new platform to share their experiences.”

Some of our elected officials recognize this problem and are devising solutions. The public option bill introduced by State Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego), HB 2010, would give Oregonians shopping for health insurance a lower-cost plan to choose from. “Every single Oregonian deserves health care. The public option will make it easier for some of them to afford it without sacrificing other financial needs,” Salinas said.

For low-income or uninsured patients, a public option could make a big difference. “Oregon’s 34 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) have long served as a place where Oregonians, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, receive exceptional medical, dental, and behavioral health care,” said Danielle Sobel, Senior Director of Policy and Governmental Affairs at the Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA), a non-profit membership association of Oregon’s FQHCs, which care for 466,000 individuals at 270 sites across the state. “We are pleased to see the state expanding access to quality health coverage that ultimately seeks to improve the health of all Oregonians.”

“As it stands, health care costs too much and delivers too little,” said Guarino. “A public option opens new possibilities for Oregonians to access care, particularly those who are ineligible for federal subsidies or otherwise can’t afford insurance.”

The House Health Care Committee will be holding a public hearing on the bill in April. You can follow the bill’s progress here.

###