Oregon’s Failed Experiment
The Oregon Health Plan has been called a “bold experiment” designed to expand health insurance to Oregon’s low income residents. It sought simultaneously to expand coverage, control costs, and foster provider participation. However, [the] results are not significantly different from the outcomes seen by the U.S. as a whole.
- The share of uninsured in Oregon has not been significantly different from the rest of the U.S. for any sustained period of time.
- Total Medicaid expenditures and Medicaid expenditures per enrollee have closely tracked U.S. expenditures.
- Initial hopes for broad participation by providers have been dashed by the pullout of larger managed care providers and a shrinking pool of providers willing to accept Oregon Health Plan enrollees as new patients.
Full Cascade Policy Institute study on the Oregon Health Plan here.
I believe it is no coincidence that across the country, the states with the most generous Medicaid eligibility have the lowest provider payments. Low provider reimbursement is a form of rationing, where enrollees technically have access to coverage but are unable to access much care.
For at least 15 years Oregon has been the national leader in health reform. So much for collectivist health reform
One reason this experiment failed is that like so many others including Obama Care, it is totaly focused on insurance reform, instead of health reform.
It didn’t help that they have had a socialist governor.
The Oregon Health Plan, Tenn Care, Kentucky Kare, Dirigo Care, Keiki Care, Romney Care, ObamaCare. When one real world failure is not enough…
Linda Gorman’s post has the makings for a good campaign commercial.