Update: September 8, 2011

Two Papers Examine Threat to Oregon's Health Exchange Posed by "Adverse Selection"

Established by the 2011 Oregon legislature, the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange is a key part of the state's effort to create affordable, quality health coverage for all Oregonians. It's set to begin operating in 2014.

The laws that created the exchange, however, leave it exposed to a dynamic that has caused the demise of health insurance exchanges in other states: adverse selection. Adverse selection occurs when healthy and less healthy individuals separate into different insurance pools. Insurance pools saddled with a disproportionate share of less healthy individuals have difficulty competing with pools serving healthier individuals and risk eventual collapse.

OCPP has published two papers examining the threat that adverse selection poses to Oregon's health exchange and what the exchange's governing board and the legislature can do to minimize that risk.

The first paper, The Active Purchaser Imperative: Unless Oregon's health insurance exchange bargains for low prices, it risks collapsing due to effects of adverse selection, explores the risk posed by adverse selection. It explains that one of the best ways to avoid the harmful dynamic is for the exchange to negotiate for the lowest possible prices on health insurance plans on behalf of Oregonians.

The second paper, Inoculating Oregon's Health Exchange Against Adverse Selection, examines how the federal Affordable Care Act and the Oregon legislation that created the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange fall short of adequately protecting against adverse selection. The paper recommends additional steps policymakers can take to reduce the risk of adverse selection.

Conference in Portland: Hunger and the Budget Crisis

OCPP executive director Chuck Sheketoff will be the keynote speaker at the September 17 conference Hunger and the Budget Crisis: A faith-based call to action.

The conference will examine how the current federal budget crisis threatens devastating cuts in programs that help the poor and reduce hunger, both within our country and overseas. The conference will formulate an advocacy action plan to protect these programs and affirm the idea that a budget is a moral document representing the values of our nation.

Details:

Date: Saturday, September 17

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Place: Mercy Corps Global Headquarters, 45 SW Ankeny St., Portland

Attendance to this event is free of charge.

The event is sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Oregon Food Bank, Jubilee Oregon, Catholic Relief Service, Oregon Area Jewish Committee, Portland Archdiocese - Office of Life, Peace and Justice, George Fox University Centers on Global Studies & Peace and Justice, Oregon Faith Roundtable Against Hunger.

For more information or to register contact: Mike Hiland, breador@frontier.com