Ben Botkin

Federal Audit Faults Oregon’s Oversight of Medicaid Insurers

Federal officials focused on four coordinated care organizations operating in 2016 and 2017. The Oregon Health Authority said it is now trying to hold them more accountable.

Sep 23, 2020
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Oregon State Capitol in Salem. | RENAUDE HATSEDAKIS

Lawmaker Accuses Oregon Health Authority Of Ignoring People With Disabilities

Sen. Sara Gelser said plans to improve Oregon’s widely criticized behavioral health system did nothing for a segment of the population.

Sep 23, 2020
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SHUTTERSTOCK

Oregon Scraps Crisis Care Guidelines for Health Care Providers 

The move marks another redo by the authority over policies created without the input from minorities and communities of color.

Sep 23, 2020
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SHUTTERSTOCK

Health Authority Faces Hazy COVID-19 Outlook After Fires 

When the wildfires hit, testing plummeted so officials don’t really know what the current COVID-19 trend is in Oregon.

Sep 21, 2020

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SHUTTERSTOCK

Exclusive: Health Authority Staff Angry Over Plans To Scrap On-Site Inspections At Behavioral Health Facilities

Critics say switching to virtual visits conducted through a smartphone or tablet, which will save time and money, could harm residents.

Sep 21, 2020
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SHUTTERSTOCK

Governor’s High-Level Behavioral Health Group Ends With Disappointment 

The group came up with a number of recommendations but they won’t move the needle on the state’s mental health crisis.

Sep 15, 2020
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SHUTTERSTOCK

Oregon’s Medicaid Insurers, Lawmakers Call For Fresh Approaches, Flexibility In COVID-19 Era 

An annual event by CCO Oregon drew key players, who discussed the challenges of plunging revenues, ensuring access to a vaccine when one is available and adapting to the changing health care landscape.

Sep 9, 2020
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MYRIAMS-FOTOS/PIXABAY

Audit Finds Oregon’s Mental Health System in Disarray, Lacks Leadership

The report identified wide-ranging, chronic problems, including a lack of leadership and failure to monitor $158 million of taxpayer money.

Sep 9, 2020
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Trillium's offices in Eugene. | CHRISTIAN WIHTOL/THE LUND REPORT

Oregon Health Authority Puts Trillium On 30-Day Notice

The agency outlines changes that the coordinated care organization has to make to enter the Portland-area Medicaid market.

Sep 3, 2020
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KEITH COOPER/CC BY 2.0

Oregon Health Authority Proposes Ambitious Budget

The two-year proposal which would require an extra $1 billion in state general funding, includes increased spending on behavioral health care and children.

Sep 3, 2020
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