Task force OKs plan to reform health care

Capping a year of discussion, a state task force unanimously adopted a blueprint Monday to reform Oregon's health care system and bring "world class health to all Oregonians" within a decade.

All seven members of the Oregon Health Fund Board approved the sweeping recommendations after three hours of debate over tweaks in the 167-page draft. On a few issues, the board directed staff to "tune up" the language before the final report goes to Gov. Ted Kulongoski and legislative leaders a week from today.

"Yahoo!" exclaimed Barney Speight, the board's executive director, as Chairman Bill Thorndike announced the vote.

"We don't know what's going to happen," Speight said. "But I hope we can look back five or six years from now and say, of this report, that it was a guide to the future."

The centerpiece of the plan is a recommendation to tax hospitals and health insurers and use the money to cover the state's more than 100,000 uninsured children, along with about 100,000 low-income adults, by 2013. Those taxes require legislative approval.

The plan's ultimate goal would be to cover all uninsured Oregonians by 2019.

The Legislature created the Health Fund Board in 2007 to design a plan to bring health care access to all Oregonians, while containing costs and improving quality of care.

A new, nine-member Health Authority appointed by the governor would direct the effort to overhaul Oregon's $19 billion health care industry.

To see the full report, go to oregon.gov/OHPPR/HFB/.