Our View: Oregon's plan for universal health care taking shape

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone in Oregon got a high level of health care and it wasn't connected to their employer? Wouldn't it be nice if individuals covered would be eligible to see any authorized provider? Wouldn't it be nice if the health care system was simpler, more affordable and more sustainable in the long run?

Those are hopes and objectives of the state committee looking to develop an Oregon universal health care plan. In less than a year, the committee is supposed to submit a report to the Legislature for options for such a plan in Oregon. The committee has an interim report due to the Legislature on Dec. 1.

On Nov. 18, the committee gave some legislators a 25-minute update. The concept is basically that health insurance, as it is today, would be eliminated. A public corporation would take over the role of health insurer. State government would essentially run health care insurance.

How would it be paid for? That's the tricky, multi-billion dollar question. The committee has not finalized any options. Committee members did not elaborate when asked about that by legislators. A key premise of the effort, though, has been that enough money is already spent on health care and new money does not need to be raised. The money does, however, need to be captured.

What we do have is a financing recommendation memo from October for the universal health governance board. It had some numbers. It at least suggests a direction of the revenue-raising measures, though, again, there's nothing final about them.

The memo had increases in Oregon's corporate income tax and corporate activity tax of 3% and .1% respectively. Employers would pay a statewide payroll tax, perhaps an increase of 11%, which would replace what they now pay for their employee insurance plans. Individuals making above 200% of the federal poverty level would pay a new personal income tax, perhaps an increase of 9%. And there's mention of an income-sensitive per person premium maxing out at $4,000 per adult and $2,000 per dependent.

"The financing recommendation is designed to redirect existing employer contributions into a universal health plan trust fund, protect low and middle-income households through tax credits and progressive policies, and ensure broad-based, predictable contributions," the memo says.

As challenging as any revenue-raising scenario is, consider the health care realities today. Health care costs keep rising faster than incomes. People put off care. Medical debt grows. Businesses struggle to provide coverage for employees. Providers are struggling, too.

The universal health care board is trying to find solutions for Oregon. You may want to look at how they hope to deliver health care to you and how you may pay. Go to this website: oregon.gov/uhpgb.