Oregon on health care reform: Full speed ahead

Date: 06/28/2012 11:10 AM

JONATHAN J. COOPER
Associated Press

 

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold much of the federal health care overhaul will require many states to scramble to get ready because they hoped it would be overturned and dragged their feet. Oregon won’t be one of them.

Oregon started working on health care reform even before President Barack Obama’s 2010 initiative, and the state has worked aggressively to implement the new requirements in the federal law. The court’s ruling appears to uphold more than $60 million in federal grants that Oregon is using

State officials say the Supreme Court ruling would not have had much impact on their plan to create coordinated care organizations to lower costs for Medicaid patients.

Gov. John Kitzhaber tells Oregon Public Broadcasting that Oregon’s work “is a clear example of what’s possible.”

 

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.