Tag: Oregon health insurance

Oregon shows insurance agents are vital to state exchange

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Health insurance agents in Oregon needed The state’s Health Insurance Exchange intends to train and utilize insurance agents to assist residents and small businesses that are uninsured to find the right plans by 2014 when the new health care mandate goes into effect. What has still not yet been entirely defined is specifically what role the agents will play and how that will influence consumers who could depend on them for their advice and suggestions. The Oregon Health Insurance Exchange board met last Thursday and, according to Kim Wirtz, an exchange…

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Senate in Oregon gives its last minute approval to state health insurance exchange

Julie Campbell

The Oregon Senate has given its overwhelming last minute approval for a measure toward the implementation of the state’s online health insurance exchange marketplace, which is the heart of the Obama administration’s healthcare reform and will provide individuals and small businesses a place to shop for coverage. The vote on Monday was for a measure that was championed by Governor John Kitzhaber, and was passed by 55-5 for the rules that will govern the exchange. This will give the state the ability to build an insurance marketplace ahead of the…

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Oregon Legislature convenes to determine the course for the last days of the legislative session of February

Marc

February is quickly coming to an end, but the Oregon Legislature still has much to discuss. State lawmakers met in the city of Salem this week to map out their plans for what remains of this month’s legislative session. The topics that will receive their attention in these latter days are education initiatives, construction bonds, logging and use of water, and the state’s plans to build its own health insurance exchange. Notably, Governor John Kitzhaber’s plans to reform the state’s Medicaid program have been cut from the current session. Though…

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Freelancers Union to establish new insurance plans in New York, New Jersey, and Oregon

Nordstrom

The Freelancers Union, a non-profit organization that represents freelance workers, has received a $341 million loan from the U.S. government. The money will help the organization set up health insurance plans in three states. New York, New Jersey, and Oregon are the states where the plans will take root once they have been finalized. The plans are meant to compete with those that come from for-profit insurance companies and may help lower coverage rates by bringing in more competition to the markets. The Freelancers Union owns its own insurance company…

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Federal leeway on insurance benefits may push back plans for a health insurance exchange in Oregon

Marc

Earlier this month, the Obama administration announced that it would allow states to take control of the benefits they offer to consumers through their health insurance exchange program. While hailed as a major boon for states, the added leeway may push back efforts to form an exchange, such is the case in Oregon, where legislators have delayed current plans to further investigate how an exchange will affect the state’s insurance industry and its consumers. Director of the Oregon insurance exchange Howard “Rocky” King claims that the exchange could extend coverage to…

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