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Vancouver Firefighters’ Union to Establish Health Insurance Trust

The union expects to do a better job at driving down rate increases than the city of Vancouver
September 14, 2011—The union representing the 175 firefighters in Vancouver -- IAFF Local 42 – expects to have a trust fund in place by October to provide health insurance for its members, and will no longer have to rely on the city. Read More >>

Insurance Board Looks to Provide Solutions for Oregonians Amid Uncertainty

Reducing patient premiums and assuring that at-risk Oregonians receive quality care were emphasized at a recent OMIP board meeting
September 14, 2011--As the nation heads into an era of a changing health insurance market, the aura of uncertainty that surrounds Washington DC has slowly stretched out to Oregon. Read More >>

Hospital, Health Insurance Consolidation Has Led to Higher Prices, Witnesses Say

At a House Ways and Means Committee held last week, Martin Gaynor said hospital consolidations have led to price increases well over 50 percent.
September 13, 2011 -- Consolidation among hospitals and health insurers has led to higher prices, and the government needs to take action to ensure more competition, according to witnesses who testified Sept. 9 to the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Health. Read More >>

Officials Approve Relocation of Nursing Facility Beds in Medford

September 13, 2011 -- A proposed order was issued today granting a certificate of need for the relocation of five licensed nursing facility beds from Hearthstone Property, LLC to Rogue Valley Manor, both in Medford. Read More >>

Oregon’s Mental Health Parity Law Improves Coverage at Minimal Cost

Study that appears in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that state’s experience may presage outcomes of new federal law
September 12, 2011 – Oregon’s mental health parity law, which prohibits commercial health plans from imposing limits on mental health and substance abuse services that are not also imposed on medical-surgical services, has improved insurance coverage without substantial cost increases, according to a study led by K. John McConnell, Ph.D., a health economist at Oregon Health & Science University. Read More >>

Washington State Insurance Commissioner Raps Regence — Again

Regence BlueShield, the state's largest health insurer, is on the hot seat again with state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, who has ordered it to correct what he says is "an ongoing pattern of errors and problems" affecting tens of thousands of consumers
September 9, 2011 -- Regence BlueShield, the state's largest health insurer, is on the hot seat again with state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, who has ordered it to correct what he says is "an ongoing pattern of errors and problems" affecting tens of thousands of consumers. Read More >>

Multnomah County’s Mental Health Services Expected to be Largely Preserved

Services are proposed to continue for one year using one-time only money and reserves in light of $11 million in state budget cuts
September 8, 2011—Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen is proposing to use one-time only money and reserves from the county’s Verity funds to sustain funding for mental health crisis services and other social services affected by state cuts totaling $11 million, which were announced late last week. Read More >>

4,000 NUHW Members and 17,000 California Nurses Association Members to Engage in Largest Strike in Kaiser's History

NUHW issues official notice of giant health insurer's first ever statewide strike
The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) issued official notice to Kaiser Permanente of the union's plan to engage in a statewide strike by 4,000 Kaiser caregivers should management continue to refuse to bargain in good faith toward a fair contract that safeguards quality patient care and that leaves workers' benefits intact. Read More >>

Increased Health Spending Wiped Out American Families’ Income Gains

September issue of Health Affairs explores factors driving up health care costs and assesses emerging solutions to curb spending and improve care
September 8, 2011 — Steadily rising health care costs are exacting a heavy financial toll on many families, leaving them with less and less disposable income while increasing the federal deficit, according to a new study in the September issue of Health Affairs. Read More >>

Stopping Arthritis Before it Stops You

A commonly used drug may prevent osteoarthritis in people who suffer severe joint injuries
September 7, 2011 -- About 27 million Americans suffer from arthritis, and more than three million of those cases result from a joint injury, often in the knee, that provokes slow and steady cartilage deterioration. Read More >>
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