Oregon Measure 101: HEALTHCARE PROVIDER ASSESSMENT

Oregon Measure 101: HEALTHCARE PROVIDER ASSESSMENT

Ballots mailed December 26, 2017 – Ballots due by January 23, 2018

What does Measure 101 do?

Oregon voters will decide whether to a) leave an expanded 1.5 % assessment on hospitals, insurance companies, and managed Medicaid plans that was included in a bill that passed the 2017 Oregon Legislature OR b) overturn it.

The expansion was passed as a strategy to close a $1 billion shortfall in the state budget, which has been caused in part by a shortfall in state revenue to cover the Oregon Health Plan, Oregon’s version of Medicaid. It will also fund a “reinsurance” program to protect patients from any health care insurance companies that go into default.

What happens if Measure 101 passes? Fails?

YES vote would keep the expanded assessment in place and the law would go into effect as passed by the Oregon Legislature.

NO vote would overturn the measure and lawmakers would have to find another way to fund the shortfall in Medicaid, or make significant cuts to health care services for the Oregonians currently eligible for the program.

What are the arguments for and against?

Supporters of increasing the assessment say it is needed to raise $210-320 million in state revenues, which would bring in an estimated $1.8 billion new federal matching funds. This can be used to keep Oregon’s Medicaid (Oregon Health Plan) health care services uninterrupted. It is estimated that without the additional state and federal funding, up to 350,000 people could lose health care coverage.

Opponents argue it is a tax on health care and that the federal matching dollars could be siphoned off for services other than Medicaid (Oregon Health Plan). They say it would increase insurance costs (up to 1.5%) in the private market for non-Medicaid Oregonians. They advocate cuts to the Medicaid program rather than an increase in assessment fees.

Who supports/ opposes Measure 101?

Supporters: All Democratic state lawmakers and 3 Republicans passed the assessment. It is supported by hospitals, health insurance companies, and managed Medicaid plans, the very entities that will be assessed. It is also supported by many healthcare provider organizations, including the Oregon Medical Association, the Oregon Nurses Association, public employee unions, and several non-profit patient advocacy groups. See their website at http://yesforhealthcare.org/supporters/

Opponents: Three prominent Republican state legislators—Julie Parrish, Sal Esquivel, and Cedric Hayden—filed a referendum that garnered 70,000 certified signatures to put this on the January ballot. Other opponents include people and organizations that say their insurance rates will rise.

See their website at http://stophealthcaretaxes.com/

More info at ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Measure_101, _Healthcare_Insurance_Premiums_Tax_for_Medicaid_Referendum_(2018)

The Voter Service Committee of the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Klamath County provided information on which this page is largely modeled. The LWV can never support or oppose any candidate. After careful study, which reaches a consensus statement, the LWV can take a position on issues.