Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are part of a pilot program, designed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), with the express goal of identifying approaches that reduce costs or improve quality of care. Our investigations show that instead, for-profit ACOs take public money intended for Medicare beneficiaries and funnel it to their investors without showing any measurable improvement in quality of care. Here are the facts:

The Universal Health Care Governance Board established by the passage of Senate Bill 1089 (SB 1089) has nominated its members! The nine nominees are listed in-full in this post. The confirmation hearing is scheduled for February 6th, time TBA.

On January 13, 2024, there was a Town Hall originating from Corvallis, Oregon on “Medicaid, Medicare, and Our Ailing Healthcare System. How this Affects Our Hospitals, Patients, and Providers.” 

I am a retired radiation oncologist from Corvallis, Oregon. I met too many patients who delayed care because of cost. They would delay months and then end up in the emergency room with advanced cancers. A 2022 Gallup poll showed that 38% of Americans delayed care because of cost. Why? Privatization is the prime suspect.

I am Bruce Thomson, MD retired from private medical practice, and I am opposed to the current proposed merger of the Corvallis Clinic with Optum Oregon MSO. I am an advocate for the state of Oregon living up to the recent amendment of Oregon constitution, as voted on by the voters in Oregon in 2022, regarding access to affordable equitable health care for all in Oregon.

With the passage of SB 1089, a governance board will be established to create a plan for universal health care in Oregon. Here are the requirements for board membership.

Thoughts from Mid-Valley Advocates on the Care Oregon Merger and questions that need to be answered.