Talk Health Reform

Make it Cheaper, Make it Better

Recommendations from the OHFB Delivery Systems Committee:

After six months of hard work, the Delivery Systems Committee presented delivery system reform recommendations to the Health Fund Board in May. The Delivery Systems Committee had the hard task of developing recommendations to create high-performing health delivery systems in Oregon that provide high quality, timely, efficient, effective, and safe health care.

The Delivery Systems Committee recommendations fall into eight main topic areas:

• Primary Care and Chronic Disease Management - Encourage the use of primary care by offering Oregonians so-called "integrated health homes" that can manage and coordinate their care;
• Improving Quality and Transparency – Improve the availability of information about health care quality and costs and report it in a clear and easily accessible manner;
• Payment Reform Models – Support the development of new payment models that encourage providers to be more accountable for the quality and costs of the care they provide;
• Comparative Effectiveness and Medical Technology Assessment – A public-private collaborative effort to ensure that treatment and coverage decisions are based on the best available research and data;
• Shared Decision Making – Identify opportunities for patients to be more involved in decisions made about their care;
• Public Health Prevention and Wellness – Develop more unified, community-driven efforts to improve population health through prevention;
• Administrative Simplification and Standardization – Identify ways to decrease health care spending through more streamlined administrative processes;
• Reduced Pharmaceutical Spending – Encourage bulk purchasing to decrease spending on prescription drugs.

Throughout its recommendations, the Committee attempted to identify ways to contain costs across the delivery system. A final version of the Committee recommendations will be available on the Health Fund Board website by the middle of the June.

How do you think system savings should be achieved in Oregon? What are the best ways to reduce costs without compromising quality or access? Should cost be a driving factor in reform?

Health reform is happening. Weigh in.

Are you worried about health care?

Are you uninsured or afraid you might lose coverage or be priced out of the market?

Are you an employer struggling to afford health benefits for your employees?

If so, you’re not alone. Most Oregonians are concerned about health care. Only about one in three have a lot of confidence that they will be able to maintain their present level of health care coverage at an acceptable cost over the next five years. Right now, the Oregon Health Fund Board is working on a plan to ensure access to health care for all Oregonians.

Mandated by state law, this is a public process on a fast time line. How will it work? Will there be a requirement that everyone get insurance? Premium assistance for lower income people? Will universal coverage enhance or compromise the quality of health care Oregonians receive? Most importantly, how will health reform affect you and your family?

Here is your opportunity to weigh in! Voice your ideas and concerns. Raise a question. Hear from and respond to other Oregonians interested in health care.

And by all means, tell the Oregon Health Fund Board what you think should be done about health care. You can learn how to make a public comment to the Oregon Health Fund Board by clicking here. We welcome your comments here at talkhealthreform.org.  Comments made at this site are not considered official public comments to the Oregon Health Fund Board, but staff of the Oregon Health Fund Board are working with the Northwest Health Foundation to ensure that the discussions occurring here are shared with the Board and its Committees and Work Groups.

Welcome to talkhealthreform.org.  We hope you will share your ideas, thoughts and questions.  Your contributions will make talkhealthreform.org a great place to talk health reform and to help ensure that Oregonians get the best reform for all of us.