Oregon League of Women Voters Look and Compare!!

Given the changing health care landscape, what do you see as key health care opportunities and challenges for Oregon in the next few years? Timothy E McMenamin
The Affordable Care Act’s text is unambiguous about how the insurance exchanges are supposed to work. According to the law, federal subsidies are available through exchanges"established by the State.” Thirty-six states didn’t set up exchanges. In some cases, their elected leaders decided not to. Other states tried to build their own. In many cases—among them Oregon, Maryland, Vermont, and Hawaii―they failed.
onyourballot.vote411.org/race-detail.do?id=1208105...nF-Sr
#orcot #orpol #coveroregon #OHA #DHS #Kitzcare #obamacare #timmcmenamin #mcmenamin4or #portland #orgon


https://chumly.com/n/2902117

Some parents upset state won't reveal where sick children attend school

PORTLAND, Ore. -- So far the Oregon Health Authority has refused to say where the children sick with enterovirus 68 in the state attend school. Three of them are from Multnomah County. Dr. Richard Leman with OHA says they have no plans to pass that information on to parents. Leman says it's up to parents to keep a close eye on their kids and to make sure they wash their hands regularly and cover their mouths during a cough or sneeze.
www.katu.com/news/local/Oregon-Entrovirus-patients...p;c=y
#oregon #multnomah #portland #OHA #DHS #CoverOregon #KitzCare #orcot #multgop #timmcmenamin #pdxevents
https://chumly.com/n/28e5468

The time is Now to stop bleeding at Cover Oregon!!

Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli of John Day and two other Republican senators Saturday called on Democrats to join them in holding an immediate special legislative session with the purpose of ending Cover Oregon. "Next year will be too late..." Gov Kitzhaber is on board with ending Cover Oregon, but said the time to deal with it is in regular legislative session next year. Great, in the mean time Oregonians will pay millions to keep this debacle going until next year.
www.katu.com/politics/GOP-senators-call-for-specia....html
#oregon #portland #pdxevents #coveroregon #DHS #OHA #kitzcare #orcot #orpol #orgop #timmcmenamin #mcmenamin4or 


https://chumly.com/n/286b3c4

The time is Now to stop bleeding at Cover Oregon!!

Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli of John Day and two other Republican senators Saturday called on Democrats to join them in holding an immediate special legislative session with the purpose of ending Cover Oregon. "Next year will be too late..." Gov Kitzhaber is on board with ending Cover Oregon, but said the time to deal with it is in regular legislative session next year. Great, in the mean time Oregonians will pay millions to keep this debacle going until next year. media.katu.com/documents/GOP_for_immediate_release...n.pdf
#CoverOregon #Kitzcare #Kitzhaber #Oregon #Portland #PDX #orgop #orcogp #multgop


https://chumly.com/n/286b245

Tell Governor Kitzhaber to Shut It Down Cover Oregon!!

Cover Oregon is currently paying salary, benefits, legal services and renting working space for 120 employees and dozens of contractors. Without legislative intervention, the defunct Cover Oregon agency is planning to spend an additional $20 million on operation costs through the remainder of the year, or $200,000 per day in a five day work week. campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=250b3ef...eaba9
#orcot #orpol #orgop #multgop #coveroregon #OHA #DHS #kitzcare #pdxevents #mcmenamins #timmcmenamin


https://chumly.com/n/2868a0b

Cover Oregon consultant bills state about $600,000

The Oregonian reports Clyde Hamstreet has completed his job stabilizing Oregon's health care exchange. But the cost of his work and two associates has added up nearly $600,000 and he hasn't submitted his August invoice. Hamstreet was initially signed to a $100,000 contract in April but the scope of his contract grew and the dollar amount was amended as well. Gov. John Kitzhaber asked Hamstreet to take over the exchange in April when he forced out three top officials. He was hired for a four-to-six-week job that extended into five months because the reorganization turned out to be a bigger job than expected.
www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2014/...95625
#coveroregon #OHA #DHS #kitzcare #obamacare #pdxevents #mcmenamins #timmcmenamin #mcmenamin4or


https://chumly.com/n/2828f9c

Cover Oregon needs Oracle's help to avoid delays in federal exchange

Hey Oracle, Cover Oregon here, wondering if you could help us with our computer issues before the Federal deadline even thou we are suing each other? Please, pretty please, with sugar on top...
www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2014/08/cover_....html

Feds cite 'fundamental concerns' with Oregon's coordinated care model

The Oregonian reports this morning that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services cited "fundamental concerns" with parts of Oregon's coordinated care organization model.
The "directive could eventually even force the state to return hundreds of millions of dollars received from the federal government," the paper's Nick Budnick wrote.
www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2014/08/....html

#ccoveroregon #oregonhealthcare #DHS #OHA #CCO's #obamacare #kitzcare


https://chumly.com/n/280f4c5

New Cover Oregon executive director Aaron Patnode will make $215,000 a year!!

Cover Oregon's new executive director has signed a contract awarding him a base salary of $215,000 a year, more than a $30,000 raise over his predecessor. Aaron Patnode, selected by the health insurance exchange's board after a lengthy search to replace Howard "Rocky" King, starts Monday, July 14. The 36-year-old Kaiser Permanente manager will make more than twice the salary of Gov. John Kitzhaber. Patnode will also receive full state benefits as well as yearly incentive pay of $32,250 if he meets performance measures set by the Cover Oregon board.
www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2014/07/new_co...river

Cover Oregon's transition to federal exchange rated 'high risk' for Failure!!

A report by independent quality-assessment contractor Maximus found that Cover Oregon’s attempt to transition to the federal exchange is at a high risk of failure, and for many of the same reasons that forced the transition in the first place. The reporting period runs through the end of April, and Maximus found that even then Cover Oregon needed to quickly hire a"systems integrator” (SI) to manage the transfer to the federal exchange. Maximus emphasized that delay in hiring a systems integrator could jeopardize enrollments for next year. Nine other companies are also in the running for the contract, which Cover Oregon estimates will be for $30-$35 million.
A recent estimate found that 80,000 people who enrolled through Cover Oregon this year will have to re-enroll through the federal exchange next year. over Oregon still has not hired a systems integrator, however, nearly two months after that warning. It first posted official notice that it was looking for one on May 26. Documents obtained by the On Your Side Investigators show a decision is due Monday. Documents obtained by the On Your Side Investigators show a decision is due Monday.
www.katu.com/news/investigators/Cover-Oregons-tran....html

Oracle Cover Oregon website worked, but plug pulled for political reasons Why??

Software vendor Oracle provided information last week to the U.S. House and Energy Committee claiming the website was operational in February, but that the state of Oregon pulled the plug on it for political reasons. The On Your Side Investigators obtained a copy of the Power Point presentation, which alleges the state deliberately distorted the case for abandoning the Cover Oregon website in favor of transitioning to the federal exchange. Kitzhaber blamed Oracle for missing deadlines and for what he called fundamental flaws in the portal’s architecture and for thousands of bugs in the system. The On Your Side Investigators reported in December that the decision not to hire a Systems Integrator was the first major wrong turn for the project. The Investigators unearthed reports from independent quality-assessment contractor Maximus that reached the same conclusion. Oracle says it tried to keep the project in line even in the months after it missed its go-live date of Oct. 1, but Cover Oregon officials continued to circumvent normal procedures and attempt to expand the scope of work beyond what was necessary to make the website functional.
www.katu.com/news/investigators/Oracle-Cover-Orego....html

Lawsuit claims Regence BlueCross BlueShield no longer acting like nonprofit

Lawyers have filed a class-action lawsuit against Oregon nonprofit health insurer Regence BlueCross BlueShield, saying it is acting like a for-profit company by stockpiling excess funds that support large salaries rather than health care for policyholders. The suit lists Regence policyholder Tanya March and her two children as plaintiffs as well as Dischinger Orthodontics of Lake Oswego. Cambia Health Solutions, the parent company for Regence and its sister companies in Washington, Utah and Idaho, does not report total executive compensation that includes income from for-profit subsidiaries, making those figures difficult to ascertain. However, in 2012, Cambia CEO Mark Ganz told The Oregonian he earned $1.94 million.
www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2014/06/lawsui...river

Our State will Pay Cover Oregon Officials' Legal Bills!!

Wait a minute. I thought Cover Oregon was a "Public Corporation" and not a state agency.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/06/stat....html

KATU Oregon hires lawyers, issues demands for potential Cover Oregon Suit

After $250 Million How Much More Do You Think Oregon Will Spend on Lawyers and How Long Will It Take? Portland law firm Markowitz Herbold Glade & Mehlhaf PC has been paid $352,000 so far to prepare for a potential lawsuit and their contract now allows them to bill the state up to $2.5 million. The state has retained two Washington, D.C., lawyers to help Oregon with an investigation by a U.S. House committee. A Portland criminal defense attorney also was hired in response to an investigation by the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office, according to the documents, which include contracts and billing summaries obtained under Oregon's public records law. The state also turned to Portland attorney Robert Weaver, a former federal prosecutor who has defended a number of high-profile criminal defendants, including figure skater Tonya Harding. Weaver is representing the state and its current and former employees in a federal criminal investigation. The U.S. Attorney's Office has issued subpoenas to state agencies seeking, among other things, communications between 10 officials involved in developing and overseeing the Cover Oregon website.
www.katu.com/politics/Oregon-hires-lawyers-issues-....html

Cover Oregon's Aaron Patnode is 4th director in 6 months

How About Hiring A Native Oregonian and a Republican just as a Good Will Measure! DURHAM — The Cover Oregon board unanimously voted to hire a Kaiser Permanente official to become the state health exchange's permanent executive director Thursday.
Pending contract negotiations, Aaron Patnode, who is responsible for Kaiser Permanente's implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Oregon and Washington, will take over an organization under immense scrutiny, turbulence and uncertainty. Patnode has worked for Kaiser Permanente since 2009, in various roles. He also has experience in public relations and hospital administration. He has a bachelor's degree in communications from Boston College and a Master of Business Administration and Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota.
www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/health/2014/06...80187

"Governor Kitzhaber Are You Going to Jail?" Confronted Over CoverOregon CoverUp

Great Journalism Dan Sandini! To Bad Our Local Stations Don't Ask The Same Questions!

Comment with YES if you want your money back!

Did you know that each Cover Oregon enrollee cost taxpayers almost $4,000? This is the kind of wasteful, failed spending that we must eliminate to get Oregon back on track. See our full infographic on Cover Oregon here: www.dennisrichardson.com/cover_oregon

It's time to admit the failure of Cover Oregon and protect the taxpayers from further losses

Report: it will take $45M and almost two years to ‘fix’ Cover Oregon. That’s under current conditions (keep the database, keep current vendor Oracle), at least according to the Deloitte Development report that the state of Oregon commissioned on how to get from under the horrible state exchange disaster inflicted on Oregon by Governor John Kitzhaber and his fellow Democrats. Reading the report, it looks like Deloitte’s recommendation would be that Oregon simply cut Cover Oregon loose and join the federal exchange. As the Oregonian noted: Oregon could hook up to the federal exchange far sooner and for a fraction of the cost, according to the report obtained by The Oregonian. A hybrid solution mixing the federal exchange and an unfinished Oracle-based small-business section of the exchange would also be faster than sticking with the current plan, as well as cheaper.
www.redstate.com/2014/04/05/cover-oregon-john-kitz...hange

Should Cover Oregon stay the course or cut bait and seek IT elsewhere?

Should Cover Oregon stay the course or give up on its IT and switch to technology from another state or the federal exchange? Cover Oregon is looking at four basic options: stick with what it has now, either with its current contractor Oracle or a new vendor; transfer functioning technology from another state, in whole or in part; use the federal exchange technology; or purchase a technology product to replace the current system. A committee made up of Cover Oregon staff and board members and representatives of several health plans and the Oregon Health Authority has been discussing options."We’re having ongoing conversations,” Aaron Karjala, Cover Oregon’s chief information officer, told the board last week. The exchange also hired consulting giant Deloitte to conduct an analysis of various options, but its findings have not been made public.
www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/health-care-inc/....html

Federal report casts Oracle as a bully, Cover Oregon execs as inept!!

The Oregonian obtained a copy of the investigation, which was completed in late February. The report indicates that Oracle has refused to provide documents requested by Cover Oregon. It also accused Oracle of "throwing bodies rather than skillset" at problems. As the Oregonian notes, the investigation also found that the Cover Oregon team also didn't know what its contractor was doing. Another federal investigation is coming soon. At the request of U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has agreed to review the troubled exchange.
www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2014/03/....html