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OHSU: OHSU Study Shows 63 Percent Drop In Uninsured Oregonians
A study released today shows that the number of uninsured Oregonians fell by 63 percent from June 30, 2013 to June 30, 2014. “This first glance at Oregon’s uninsured rates shows that a significant number of Oregonians have benefited from expansions in access to health insurance,” said Peter Graven, Ph.D., health economist with the Center for Health Systems Effectiveness at OHSU and lead author on the study. “Our study found that 95 percent of Oregonians now have health insurance coverage” the study’s key objective was to estimate the number of uninsured individuals in Oregon as a result of policy changes associated with the Affordable Care Act. The number of uninsured Oregonians in June 2013 was estimated to be approximately 550,000, or 14 percent of the total population. The study found that the number of uninsured individuals in Oregon declined to roughly 202,000 in June 2014, or 5.1 percent of the population.
“Since the beginning of the year, nearly all of the previously uninsured patients we care for at Richmond Clinic have gained health insurance coverage,” said Christina Milano, M.D., assistant professor of family medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine and family medicine physician at the OHSU Richmond Clinic in Southeast Portland. “This makes a huge difference for these patients who previously had to pay out of pocket or work out other payment agreements; it’s a big weight off their shoulders. There’s also a peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re covered if you have a critical illness in the future.” Medicaid eligibility extensions and expanded access to individual health plans through Cover Oregon, Oregon’s health insurance marketplace, drove the substantial increase in the number of insured Oregonians. Most of the newly insured are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan, Oregon’s Medicaid program, which saw an increase of more than 360,000, or 59 percent. Participation in private non-group health plans saw a 20 percent increase in participation, primarily through Cover Oregon.
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OPB: Number Of Uninsured Oregonians Falls By 63 Percent
The number of Oregonians without health insurance dropped 63 percent in a year, according to a new study by Oregon Health and Science University. In the summer of 2013, more than half a million Oregonians didn’t have health insurance. By this summer — after the state expanded Medicaid and after people were allowed to enroll under the Affordable Care Act — that number dropped to just over 200,000. So in effect, the number of uninsured Oregonians went from 14 percent of the population to five percent.
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