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To contact me, please click here: Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov
This week marks the 60th anniversary of the launch of both Medicare and Medicaid in our country. It should truly be something to celebrate, that older adults and others who do not have employer-based health insurance also have access to medical care. These programs have saved lives, supported critical access hospitals, and helped families care for aging parents and growing children.
However, the current majority in Congress passed a bill to slash Medicaid, potentially causing more than 10 million people in the US to lose health coverage. In Oregon, one out of every three residents are covered by the Oregon Health Plan (OHP – our name for Medicaid here), including half of all children in our state. According to the Oregon Health Authority, our state could lose up to $10 billion in Medicaid funding over a two-year budget cycle once all the federally mandated changes are implemented. These cuts and new mandates will threaten access to healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Oregonians covered by OHP, the OHP Bridge Program, and the healthcare Marketplace.
Since hospitals are required to see all folks who arrive in their emergency departments, hospitals’ costs will rise to cover uncompensated care and that will raise the insurance premiums for all of us. These rising costs will also likely raise co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs. Growing numbers of Oregonians will face medical debt and bankruptcies.
In addition, there is the cost to human lives – such as doctor visits and needed medications foregone, leading to complications which might have been avoided through earlier intervention – and that cost is real. Research related to the Medicaid expansion found that those with health insurance experience improved health outcomes, including lower mortality rates from heart disease, cancer, liver disease, and fewer deaths related to childbirth.
As we mark the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, we should be building on the legacy of these programs. We need to move forward, not backward, in ensuring all those who live in this great country have access to healthcare.
We’ve done a really good job here in Oregon, where about 97% of our population has health insurance. Now the challenge is protecting access, and closing that 3% gap, so that affordable, quality healthcare is available to all.
No one should go without care because of their age, income, or zip code. I will keep fighting to protect and strengthen care for everyone in Oregon.
Best regards,
Deb
Photos from Our Town Hall
Thank you to everyone who attended the joint town hall last week with Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, State Representative Paul Evans, and State Representative Tom Andersen. We had over 200 people join us for a conversation about the impacts of federal actions in our community.
We heard concerns about ICE and immigration enforcement, tariffs, and federal funding cuts to health care, food assistance, and other important community services. Here in our state, we are continuing to fight every day to uphold Oregon values and protect individual rights and freedoms. There is a lot ahead, and I'm ready to keep showing up and standing united with our partners in this work.
Update on the Ella Curran Food Bank Expansion
For the past several years, volunteers have been raising funds to build a permanent home for the Ella Curran Food Bank in Independence. I was proud to secure $690,000 in state funding for this project in the 2023 Legislative Session, and I excited to share that Phase One of the construction is now underway! This includes clearing and prepping the site with rock, putting in the water, sewer, and electrical infrastructure, and adding curbs and asphalt.
The Ella Curran Food Bank has served the Monmouth-Independence community since 1978. They are an all-volunteer organization and provide food to 250-300 families per week. They have been in need of a new home for several years, due to outdated facilities that no longer meet our community's needs, so it is wonderful to see this project moving forward. I am grateful to all the partners and volunteers who work to reduce hunger in our community.
New Reproductive Health Care Resources Toolkit
The Department of Justice has a new toolkit to help people understand abortion access and protections in Oregon. While abortion is still legal in our state, political attacks against reproductive freedom have created confusion for people seeking needed care.
The Reproductive Health Care Resources toolkit includes answers to commonly asked legal questions, information about coverage options and financial assistance for abortion care, and a free and confidential Reproductive Rights Hotline.
Click here to learn more.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1710
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-411, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/patterson
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