The Lund Report

1 week ago | thelundreport.org | Nick Budnick

With costs growing rapidly, Oregon’s health care players need to better collaborate on solutions with support from government to address systemwide challenges, experts said Tuesday. With medical costs in the commercial insurance market growing between 8-12% annually — well above inflation — it’s time to take the temperature of Oregon’s existing cost control programs and see if they’re working, said Jack Friedman, former Providence Health CEO.

2 weeks ago | thelundreport.org | Nick Budnick

This article will be expanded. Low-income people and their families in the greater Portland area are getting evicted or losing access to needed treatment instead of getting help from a new Oregon Health Authority program, advocates and others said Wednesday. The new state housing assistance program is intended to help people be healthy by averting homelessness, among other things.

2 weeks ago | thelundreport.org | Nick Budnick

Independent health news for Oregon and SW Washington The former Oregon governor is working with Republican Cliff Bentz to advance ideas to limit harm from Medicaid cuts and instead promote savings in the costly program. He argues the time is now for Democrats to seize the high ground, but top members of the Oregon delegation say Republicans can't be trusted. This premium article is for members. If you are one, please sign in.

2 weeks ago | thelundreport.org | Jake Thomas

“Cascadia Health has experienced significant pressure to accept clients who are not clinically ready or appropriate for our program at the time of referral, as many have received less than 90-days of treatment, which is generally not sufficient time to enable them to become psychiatrically stable.” The criminal defendants discharged from the state hospital to the facilities still need services to restore them to where they are considered fit to stand trial so they can “aid and assist” in...

2 weeks ago | thelundreport.org | Nick Budnick

Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber is pushing Republicans and Democrats in Congress to adopt Oregon-style health care reforms to limit the damaging effects of potentially huge Medicaid spending cuts. The only Republican member of Oregon’s delegation, U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, contacted Kitzhaber earlier this year to talk about how to address Republicans’ budget goals while limiting harms to the federal health care program serving low-income people.