Oregon’s Gubernatorial Candidates On Health Care

Oregon’s subsequent governor will inherit a well being care system that faces historic challenges — and a uncommon alternative to make systemic modifications.  

When Gov. Kate Brown exits, the brand new governor will take the helm of a state with a battered well being care system nonetheless recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2-year pandemic pushed fairness and entry to well being care to the entrance of the general public enviornment, as folks of colour and low-income residents suffered disproportionately from COVID-19. 

Now, the work to reshape Oregon’s well being care system for a post-pandemic future is simply beginning, placing the following governor at the focus of the duty. Voters within the Might 17 main will decide a Republican and Democratic nominee to sq. off towards Betsy Johnson, who’s working as an unaffiliated candidate, within the November election. 

Oregon faces a reckoning because the state grapples with learn how to advance a well being care system that’s extra nimble and accessible to everybody, from Ontario to Medford. The outdated means of doing enterprise has confirmed to be not sufficient to offer entry to underserved communities and attain folks. The pandemic made clear that the state needed to work way more intently with neighborhood organizations to vaccinate hard-to-reach teams.

Well being care entry is a key situation. State officers are within the early levels of designing a so-called “bridge plan” that would supply well being care to the working poor who make an excessive amount of to qualify for the Oregon Well being Plan, which serves about 1.4 million folks. The proposal would assist among the estimated 300,000 folks anticipated to lose Oregon Well being Plan protection when a particular rule adopted for the federal public well being emergency ends.

On the identical time, well being care suppliers wrestle to recruit and retain nurses and different staff. Exhausted well being care staff have headed for the exit doorways. Others retired early. 

Oregon’s behavioral well being system is especially strained as policymakers and lawmakers search for methods to spice up entry to care. Oregon persistently ranks among the many backside in states nationwide in entry to behavioral well being care.

Even with cash, struggles proceed. Oregon lawmakers put $1 billion in 2021 towards historic investments within the behavioral well being system, together with extra residential services, incentives for staff and peer assist packages. However the Oregon Well being Authority has struggled to get the cash out the door effectively, drawing criticism practically a yr later.

The troubles don’t cease there. Oregon has did not distribute $276 million to suppliers as voters had been promised with their passage of Poll Measure 110, which decriminalized low-level drug possession and offered funds for habit packages.

Of their responses to The Lund Report, candidates agree on the challenges: entry, workforce shortages and a behavioral well being disaster, amongst them. But they’ve totally different priorities, corresponding to specializing in preventative care, pushing for the elimination of the supply in Poll Measure 110 legalizing onerous medicine and boosting the pay for the well being care workforce.

Right here’s a have a look at the candidates’ views on well being care points:

Democratic Candidates:

George Carrillo

Tina Kotek

Tobias Learn

Republican Candidates:

Bridget Barton

Christine Drazan

Jessica Gomez

Bud Pierce

Unaffiliated Candidates:

Betsy Johnson

In a crowded race for Oregon governor, The Lund Report chosen candidates for participation primarily based on two standards: The dimensions of their warfare chests and their social media numbers. Candidates needed to meet a minimal threshold of $400,000 raised this yr or no less than 10,000 followers on any social media platform. Two candidates, Democrat George Carrillo and Republican Stan Pulliam, failed to satisfy the fundraising requirement however demonstrated bigger on-line followings than all the opposite candidates within the race. Whereas Carrillo participated in our survey, Pulliam didn’t. Republican Bob Tiernan was the one different candidate to say no our invitation. 

Nick Budnick and Emily Inexperienced contributed to this report.