Universal, Single-Payer Health Care

A universal, single-payer health care system ensures access to affordable quality health care for all Oregon residents through a comprehensive plan providing payment for medically necessary health services.

Key Concepts

• Universality - All residents of the state of Oregon are eligible to participate.
  
• Security - This health coverage can never be denied if you or your family change jobs, retire, or have a pre-existing condition.
  
• Choice - You can choose from any state licensed, certified, or registered health care practitioner. YOU pick your doctor, your HMO doesn't.
  
• Affordability - Eliminating deductibles, co-payments, and insurance premiums will save nearly every Oregonian money.

Comprehensive Benefits

• The plan covers medically necessary health services as determined and provided by any state licensed, certified, or registered health care practitioner.
  
• This includes, but is not limited to, prescription drugs, dental, vision, inpatient and outpatient care, mental health, and in-home, emergency, and long-term care.
  
• There are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.

Financing

This plan will have three sources of financing:

• Current expenditures by federal, state, and local governments will provide more than a third of what will be needed.
  
• A progressive tax on employers’ payroll will replace current insurance premiums paid by employers. The percentage ranging from 3 to 11.5% will depend on the size of the payroll, with only the largest corporations paying the highest percentages. Self-employed individuals will be exempt.
  
• A progressive personal income tax will replace most personal health care spending: premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses for such items as prescription drugs, glasses, mental health, and alternative care. The rate will be between 0 and 8% of taxable income. Families at or below 150% of the federal poverty level are exempt.

Management

• A publicly accountable, nonprofit Health Care Finance Board will be set up to administer the system. Two Board members will be elected from each congressional district, and the Governor will ppoint five additional members, including one consumer advocate and one person from a union.
  
• The Board will negotiate compensation with health care practitioners and facilities, and will establish quality control and cost containment programs. Costs will be controlled by establishing a global budget, capping administrative costs, and negotiating the purchase of pharmaceuticals. The quality of care will be enhanced as patients exercise complete freedom of choice of health care providers and the nature of their care is determined by their provider.

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