Federal law added to Oregon recipients, workforce; future private, public costs at issue. <\/p>\n
The national health-care overhaul has dramatically reduced the share of Oregonians without insurance coverage, but it also has posed new challenges. <\/p>\n
State Insurance Commissioner Laura Cali and Peter Graven, a health economist at Oregon Health & Science University, discussed the wide-ranging effects of the Affordable Care Act at a Salem City Club luncheon Friday. <\/p>\n
What we have is a result of a lot of competing interests, Cali says. <\/p>\n
While Cali declined to speculate what changes in the 2010 law might occur in the future, you learn things along the way as you implement it and you make adjustments. <\/p>\n
Graven says Congress isnt likely to change it anytime soon. The original 2010 law squeezed by with a 60-39 vote in the Senate 60 is the minimum required to avert a filibuster and 219-212 in the House. Both votes took place when Democrats had majorities in both chambers. <\/p>\n
Since 2011, Republicans who have controlled the House have taken 56 votes, most recently on Feb. 3, to repeal it. However, President Barack Obama says he will veto any repeal. <\/p>\n
Graven says a single-payer system, under which the government pays all health care similar to what Canada does, is also unlikely. <\/p>\n
More to the point, Graven says, is what states such as Oregon do to extend coverage through private insurance and state-supported care known as the Oregon Health Plan and how to keep that coverage affordable, such as the 16 coordinated-care organizations that oversee care for almost 1 million low-income recipients under the plan. <\/p>\n
Its good to keep an eye on Oregon, he says. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Read the rest here:<\/p>\n
Health care challenges still ahead<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Federal law added to Oregon recipients, workforce; future private, public costs at issue. The national health-care overhaul has dramatically reduced the share of Oregonians without insurance coverage, but it also has posed new challenges. Continue reading