Workforce development
We are working in partnership with labor unions and legislators on solutions that rebuild the pipeline of health care workers.
We support 61 hospitals in providing the very best care to millions of Oregonians. Our focus is on advancing a policy agenda that addresses hospitals’ current and long-term needs to sustain a health care system generations of Oregonians can rely on.
We are working in partnership with labor unions and legislators on solutions that rebuild the pipeline of health care workers.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the broken model of health care financing. That’s why in the Legislature for the next two years we will support fully funding Medicaid and other programs to ensure access to care and bring financial stability to our hospitals.
Every day, bureaucratic inefficiencies and staffing shortages mean that hundreds of patients wait to be discharged to a more appropriate care setting. We are committed to promoting collaboration between state agencies and stakeholders to reduce discharge barriers and alleviate staffing shortages in post-acute settings.
In order for health care workers to care for their communities no matter the circumstances, hospitals must be adaptable. We are working to reduce the burden of unnecessary regulation on our hospitals so they can direct resources to patient care.
Oregon’s community hospitals are under extreme financial strain. They have already made difficult trade-offs to keep their doors open, impacting emergency care, maternity care, and behavioral health services in communities across Oregon.
Oregonians depend on access to hospital services. For hospitals to continue to serve our communities and maintain vital services, they need to be paid enough to cover the cost of care. We support protecting coverage for those on the Oregon Health Plan by reauthorizing provider taxes and increasing Oregon Health Plan payments to hospitals so they can serve all Oregonians.
When hospitals can’t transfer patients to the next appropriate level of care, fewer beds are available for community members in need. “Boarding” patients in hospital emergency departments can negatively impact their health. We support creating more timely access to long-term services supports for Oregon Health Plan members by presuming their eligibility for coverage and extending their benefits for skilled nursing facility-level care.
Insurance companies are using tactics such as automatic claims denials and burdensome prior authorization requirements that increase costs for hospitals and providers— putting patients at risk by delaying care. We support making it easier for patients to understand and access health care benefits and improving utilization management, claims processing, and patient billing.
During the 83rd Oregon Legislative Assembly, lawmakers faced one of the most
difficult budget environments in years while working to fund major priorities like
transportation, education, and wildfire preparedness. With more than 3,500 bills
introduced, the hospital association engaged on a significant number of bills, securing wins on its top policy priorities and helping to pass legislation supporting Oregon’s hospitals and the patients they serve.
The hospital association was a constant presence at the Salem Capitol, testifying on dozens of bills impacting hospitals’ ability to provide care. This advocacy helped pass legislation that supports hospitals and helps fund the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), extends benefits for OHP patients who need extra support after hospitalization, and brings greater transparency to the prior authorization process.
The Hospital Association of Oregon’s federal public policy agenda is designed to bolster our members’ efforts to provide Oregonians with the highest quality care. With our active involvement, members have a voice in the federal policymaking process.
Advocating for better health care policy is a team sport, and we need your help. That’s why we’ve built a coalition committed to improving health care delivery in Oregon.
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Improved hospital financial stability.
The hospital association played a leading role as part of
a coalition that included hospitals, health insurers, CCOs,
providers, advocates, and labor unions in successfully
advocating for the passage of legislation that supports
hospitals and helps fund the Oregon Health Plan (OHP).
HB 5025 includes more than $320M for hospitals through
funding of the Disproportionate Share Hospital program and
graduate medical education and increases Medicaid funding
for maternity services. HB 2010 extends the hospital provider
tax and the health insurer and CCO tax that help fund OHP,
supporting coverage for one in three Oregonians.
Addressed patient discharge delays.
The hospital association successfully advocated alongside the long-term care association and labor unions for SB 296, which was based on recommendations from the Joint Task Force on Hospital Discharge Challenges and includes increasing the post-hospital extended care benefit from 20 to 100 days.
Promoted patient-centered health
insurer reform.
Through a provider coalition, the hospital association
advocated for the passage of HB 3134, which represents a
meaningful first step in prior authorization reform. The bill
brings greater transparency to the prior authorization process
and requires reimbursement for emergency procedures that
arise during surgery.
We all feel the impacts of health care policy decisions made both in Salem and Washington, D.C., and it is our mission to educate legislators and policymakers on the full range of consequences of their proposed legislation. When legislators are grounded in the hospital perspective, they will have a more comprehensive understanding of how their decisions will affect our patients, staff and communities.
The hospital association helps our members speak with a collective voice on important policy matters, and your participation is vital to that effort.
Our federal policy agenda guides the hospital association in addressing the challenges hospitals face as they seek to fulfill their missions of serving the health needs of their communities. It is aligned with the American Hospital Association’s policy agenda and is based on principles that have guided the hospital association’s public policy development for several years. These principles are:
We are proud to advocate for federal policies that support hospitals so they can support Oregonians.