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 January Legislators come out fighting in opening rounds The honeymoon lasted a little over two hours. That’s how long it took for Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R––John Day) to issue a press release blistering Gov. Ted Kulongoski after his State of the State address on Jan. 10. Calling it “the most partisan rhetoric of recent times,” Ferrioli’s hatchet job on the governor eviscerated the gloss of bipartisanship that hung over the Capitol and replaced it with the acrimonious air of years past. Assessment spikes Health insurers choked on their eggnog when the Oregon Medical Insurance Pool released its last assessment. The pool offers insurance to people with high-risk conditions who otherwise would be denied coverage. Twice a year it adds up the cost of care for its approximately 10,000 members and sends pro-rated bills to health insurers. While enrollment continues to climb, the pool has kept costs in check thanks to forward thinking benefit design and low administrative costs. Agent pay questioned The writing was on the wall when New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer launched his massive investigation into price fixing at Marsh & McLennan. Now the writing’s on paper. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners just published model legislation for broker compensation. Tapping Oregon’s ellusive funding keg A fiery 73-year-old lobbyist from Alaska, who’s also a recovering alcoholic, plans to pull off a legislative magic trick by increasing Oregon’s beer tax. Called in by a coalition of prevention advocates, Howard Scaman is taking on an industry that’s been virtually untouchable, during a year in which the governor and many lawmakers have ruled out new taxes. It’s a difficult task, but Scaman did it in Alaska – twice. Duking it out at Portland’s Outside In As an administrator, John Duke is something of a maverick. For the last eight years, he’s directed Outside In, a federally qualified health center offering services to low-income adults and homeless youth. Typically managers of non-profit organizations – dependent on government funding and local philanthropy – tend to watch their words carefully and not offer controversial opinions – at least not publicly. But the 47-year-old Duke doesn’t hold back. Is Dr. Peter Davidson milking the clock? What’s Dr. Peter Davidson up to? That’s the question Multnomah County Commissioner Serena Cruz is trying to find out. In early December he stepped down as the county’s top mental health official after allegations surfaced that he intimidated an African-American woman, making racial slurs. Two weeks later he was back on the job, earning $3,200 per week handling critical projects. “I keep asking what projects he’s working on but get no reply,” said Cruz who sent a query to Commission Chair Diane Linn, but hadn’t heard back. “I don’t usually get replies,” she said. Since Davidson isn’t allowed in the building and cannot have contact with county employees, “what exactly is he doing?” she asked. D.C. forecast hazy Don’t let appearances fool you. Republicans may control both houses of Congress and the Oval Office, but that doesn’t mean conservative health care solutions will fly through the Senate and onto the president’s desk. Association health plans and caps on non-economic damages are far from certain. In recent years, both made it through the House with little trouble. The more moderate Senate, however, has yet to pass either. That may not change any time soon, despite predictions in the popular press. Contractors get busy Medicare advantage plans won’t see any action until 2006, but three Oregon Health Plan contractors are wasting no time. They’ve hired Pam Johnson away from Central Oregon IPA where she was vice president of regulatory affairs to head up the product. Their Medicare plan is under construction, according to Bill Murray, CEO of DOCS IPA based in Coos Bay. His partners include Bill Guest who runs Cascade Comprehensive Care and Ron Preston, CEO of Douglas County IPA. Together they had 25,800 Oregon Health Plan members in November 2004. Mercer study fruitless Oregon spent $395,000 on a benchmark rate study that proved the obvious. Hospitals, physicians, dentists and other providers are being underpaid to treat Oregon Health Plan patients. “So the only winner in this is Mercer (Human Resource Consulting),” Dr. David Labby of CareOregon told his fellow medical directors on Jan. 10. “We paid them a lot to tell us what we already knew.” Also in this issue...
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