SALEM—The
Oregon Legislature moved one step closer toward enacting The Healthy
Kids plan today, when the House Committee on Health Care voted to pass
the bill and refer it to the Revenue Committee for further
consideration. The bill comes at a time when Oregonians are facing
sharply rising health insurance costs, and has the aim of making
children’s health coverage affordable for all Oregon families.
“We
applaud Chair Greenlick, Vice-Chair Kotek and Representatives Cannon,
Gelser and Bonamici for voting to pass this smart plan for Oregon’s
children,” said Laura Etherton, consumer advocate with Oregon State
Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG).
The
plan comes in response to the fact that nearly 118,000 Oregon children
go without health insurance. Over 90% of uninsured children live in
families where at least one parent works, but skyrocketing health care
costs are putting coverage out of reach.
“Children
without health insurance are more likely to end up in the emergency
room. It’s terrible for them, and it actually ends up driving costs up
for everyone,” says Etherton.
The
bill creates the Oregon Healthy Kids Program, which would give every
child access to quality affordable health care by securing new federal
funds for the Oregon Health Plan, as well as by pooling purchasing
power to make an affordable, accountable private children’s insurance
plan available on a sliding scale to Oregon families.
“It
simply makes sense to give children guaranteed access to checkups,
preventative care and other treatment,” said Etherton, “And it makes
sense to raise the tobacco tax to discourage youth smoking. Oregon can
be a leader in creating the healthiest and strongest generation of
children ever, and the Healthy Kids Plan is the right place to start.”
