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Oregon Releases Provisional 2027 Health Insurance Prices, And They’re Not Pretty

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Oregon Releases Provisional 2027 Health Insurance Prices, And They’re Not Pretty


Oregonians will have fewer options for health insurance plans in 2027, and the plans that remain are seeking to raise prices at a rate with no recent precedent.

That’s according to data released Monday by Oregon regulators, showing that insurers of individual and small group health plans are seeking to raise premiums in the state by a whopping 17% average in 2027.

The requests, which make rate increases of 6% to 10% in recent years pale in comparison, are subject to public input and are not yet finalized. But in recent years, the state has generally ended up letting health insurers raise rates to something close to the increases they sought.

If history repeats, it would mean Oregon households and small businesses that get their insurance through the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace would be on the hook to pay several hundred dollars per year more per person on health insurance, which is already for many a crushing expense.

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This is not just an Oregon phenomenon. Health care costs, already a huge chunk of national spending, have been increasing far faster than inflation in recent years, drawing further from the coffers of governments, businesses, and households alike. Experts debate the causes, but generally cite an aging population and rising drug, labor and equipment costs.

Another factor in rising insurance prices may be that some people are not getting plans at all. Oregon regulators say that Congress’s decision to eliminate enhanced subsidies on Affordable Care Act-regulated plans has contributed to an exodus from that market. In Oregon from 2025 to 2026, the number of enrollees in ACA-regulated plans shrunk from 303,000 to 274,000. This in turn, means a worse risk pool for insurers, causing them to raise prices even more for those who remain.

Whatever the cause, a WW review of recent rate hikes shows that Oregon prices industrywide have risen in recent years at an astounding clip. Between 2021 and 2026, the cheapest individual Silver plan in the Portland area jumped from $425 to $518 per month.

If the requested rates are approved, the cheapest such plan, from Kaiser, would in 2027 cost $581 monthly.

The same goes for small group plans. In 2021, the cheapest such Silver-rated plan in the Portland area jumped from $321 to $450 per month.

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In 2027, that cheapest such plan could cost $509.

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation, which announced the rate increase, described an array of justifications it heard from insurance companies for raising prices. These ranged from “generalized federal policy uncertainties” to tariffs, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, as well as general inflation.

At the same time, the DFR is touting the Oregon Reinsurance Program as a force of market stabilization. Under the program, the state is among those that operate as “essentially insurance for insurance companies,”according to Healthinsurance.org, helping insurers to pay high cost claims. Oregon regulators say rates are 10% lower than they would be if not for the program.

Still, as hospitals and other providers demand more, the health insurance market is evidently getting tougher, and for some companies, the state support and prior rate increases have not been enough. Providence Health Plan, once a stalwart of the Oregon health insurance market, is shutting down nearly entirely at the end of the year. And another local insurer, PacificSource, will stop offering health plans on the individual health insurance market.

“Oregon consumers are facing challenging times with expiring premium tax credits, rising health insurance rates across the country, and two carriers leaving the Oregon market,” said TK Keen, Oregon’s insurance commissioner. “With the losses of Providence and PacificSource in the individual market, there are fewer options, but there are still three options in every Oregon county to choose from.”

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Residents of Multnomah County, for their part, will have access to four individual ACA plans in 2027: offered by BridgeSpan, Kaiser, Moda and Regence. Of these, Moda is seeking the largest rate increase—25%.

Meanwhile in the ACA small group market, the company seeking the largest rate increase—28%—is the behemoth UnitedHealthcare. Last year, that company reported a profit of $12.2 billion.

Willamette Week’s reporting has real-life impact that changes laws, forces action by civic leaders, and drives compromised politicians from public office.

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Oregon Lottery Powerball, Pick 4 results for July 6

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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from July 6 drawing

17-44-63-66-67, Powerball: 04, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 6 drawing

1PM: 8-8-0-7

4PM: 4-2-9-2

7PM: 8-2-5-5

10PM: 7-7-2-2

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Win for Life numbers from July 6 drawing

18-28-41-70

Check Win for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks numbers from July 6 drawing

14-19-20-21-25-38

Check Megabucks payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
  • Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Oregon’s Class Surges in Team Recruiting Rankings to No. 3

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Oregon’s Class Surges in Team Recruiting Rankings to No. 3


If you headed to the lake early last week, you missed the best fireworks. Dan Lanning and his staff put on a cup of coffee and closed like the Wolf of Wall Street. Minus the cocaine, probably.

All jokes aside, and believe me, these are jokes, the recruiting this staff is doing is not a joke. From June 28 to July 3, a span of 6 days Oregon added four new commitments and all were four stars or better. If you weren’t paying attention, Oregon landed 12 commits in the months of June and what we’ve had in July so far.

The recruiting class has surged from the teens to No. 9 to start last week to No. 3 overall by Friday afternoon. Only Texas A&M and Notre Dame have better recruiting classes according to Rivals. Oregon has the best class in the Big Ten conference.

The 24 commits sit at an average rating of 90.76 according to Rivals. Additionally 16 of the 24 commits are ranked four-stars or better and that includes the Ducks having a pair of 5-Star commitments. Oregon has 11 defensive commits, 11 offensive commits and 2 listed as athletes.

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Up next is a commitment from four-star linebacker Brayton Feister set for Saturday, July 11. I don’t believe that addition will move Oregon up in the rankings but will strengthen their current position.

With five-star wide receiver Xavier Sabb committing, Oregon now has a commitment from 17 different states. Should Feister from Ohio pick the Ducks on Saturday, that would give Oregon an 18th state. The national reach of this program is as good as any school in the country.

Last year Oregon finished with the No. 4 ranked class in the nation. The 2025 class also finished at No. 4 nationally.

The early signing period for the 2027 class begins on December 4 and ends on December 6. The transfer portal window begins on January 2.

Oregon kicks off its 2026 season opener at home on September 5 vs Boise State.

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Former corrections officer sentenced in major Oregon poaching case spanning multiple counties

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Former corrections officer sentenced in major Oregon poaching case spanning multiple counties


UMATILLA COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — A yearslong investigation by the Oregon State Police (OSP), in addition to the Fish and Wildlife Division, has resulted in significant penalties for an Umatilla man accused of illegally killing wildlife across Oregon, in what prosecutors describe as one of the most damaging serial poaching cases tied to a single individual.

Christopher George Matson, 48, was sentenced in two separate cases in June following an investigation that began in 2024, when authorities received information he was unlawfully taking big game animals. Matson is a former Oregon Department of Corrections officer.

In February 2025, investigators served a search warrant and seized multiple big game animals and firearms as evidence. In total, 67 criminal charges were referred for prosecution, spanning multiple counties and including allegations such as unlawful take and possession of black bear with the aid of bait, unlawful take of buck deer and antlerless elk, and hunting during prohibited hours. Additional charges included falsely applying for tags, loaning or borrowing big game tags, and unlawful possession of silencers and a short-barreled rifle.

The case was prosecuted by the Oregon Department of Justice’s Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resource Prosecutor.

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On June 18, 2026, Matson pleaded guilty in Grant County Circuit Court to seven counts, including unlawful take of buck deer and black bear. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, a lifetime hunting license revocation, 300 hours of community service, forfeiture of firearms and seized property, and a $52,500 fine payable to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Less than two weeks later, on June 29, Matson pleaded guilty in Umatilla County Circuit Court to additional charges, including unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, unlawful possession of a silencer, unlawful possession of multiple wildlife, and unlawful take of mule deer. In that case, he was sentenced to 24 months of probation, a lifetime hunting ban, 300 hours of community service to run concurrently, forfeiture of property, and a $62,000 fine.

Combined, the penalties include probation, a lifetime revocation of hunting privileges, 300 hours of community service and more than $114,000 in fines.

“This is another example of serial poaching which rises to the level of felony conduct based solely on the repeated poaching conduct and impact of one individual on Oregon’s game mammals,” said Jay Hall, the Oregon Department of Justice’s Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resource Prosecutor. “The conduct across the several counties amounts to one of the highest damage amounts done to Oregon wildlife by any singular actor.”

Oregon State Police credited the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for assisting with interviews and evidence collection, along with multiple witnesses who came forward during the investigation.

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