MODULE 6: THE OREGON PLAN
The Oregon Plan
Nicole Schaub
Excelsior College
Introduction to Healthcare Delivery Systems
Pamela Barks
November 28th, 2013
Abstract
The Oregon Plan is an initiative started to decrease the cost of government funded healthcare programs such as Medicaid. The plan involves decreasing the covered services for recipients to allow more people to be covered. I do not agree with this plan because I think there are better alternatives and I think it is ethically challenged.
The Oregon Plan is a healthcare initiative that adopts a new way of controlling costs for state funded medical insurance for low-income families. Prior to this assignment, I had never heard of a plan like this.
My understanding is that this plan offers state Medicaid coverage to more people, but with fewer benefits. The makers of this plan had a few options for cutting the cost of the state funded program and they decided it would be most beneficial to cover more people with fewer covered services than to cut some people from the plan to keep the covered services the same.
The options the legislature has for lowering expenses for the Medicaid programs are as follows: reduce the number of recipients, lower the amount of reimbursement to providers, or offer fewer services to recipients. Those responsible for implementing The Oregon Plan felt that the latter of those was the best option. While I think the notion of offering medical coverage for all families that fall below the federal poverty guidelines is great, I don’t think it’s realistic. Those who fall below the federal poverty guideline do so for many different reasons. Many are in such a position because they have serious health problems or have a family member with serious health problems, making it difficult or impossible for them to work. Others may have a permanent physical or mental disability. Some simply choose not to purchase healthcare when it is available to them and they are...