2011 Oregon Revised Statutes
ORS Volume 10, Chapters 366 - 430
ORS Chapter 413
413.011 Duties of board.

(1) The duties of the Oregon Health Policy Board are to:

(a) Be the policy-making and oversight body for the Oregon Health Authority established in ORS 413.032 and all of the authority s departmental divisions, including the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange described in section 17, chapter 595, Oregon Laws 2009.

(b) Develop and submit a plan to the Legislative Assembly by December 31, 2010, to provide and fund access to affordable, quality health care for all Oregonians by 2015.

(c) Develop a program to provide health insurance premium assistance to all low and moderate income individuals who are legal residents of Oregon.

(d) Establish and continuously refine uniform, statewide health care quality standards for use by all purchasers of health care, third-party payers and health care providers as quality performance benchmarks.

(e) Establish evidence-based clinical standards and practice guidelines that may be used by providers.

(f) Approve and monitor community-centered health initiatives described in ORS 413.032 (1)(i) that are consistent with public health goals, strategies, programs and performance standards adopted by the Oregon Health Policy Board to improve the health of all Oregonians, and shall regularly report to the Legislative Assembly on the accomplishments and needed changes to the initiatives.

(g) Establish cost containment mechanisms to reduce health care costs.

(h) Ensure that Oregon s health care workforce is sufficient in numbers and training to meet the demand that will be created by the expansion in health coverage, health care system transformations, an increasingly diverse population and an aging workforce.

(i) Work with the Oregon congressional delegation to advance the adoption of changes in federal law or policy to promote Oregon s comprehensive health reform plan.

(j) Establish a health benefit package in accordance with ORS 741.340 to be used as the baseline for all health benefit plans offered through the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange.

(k) Develop and submit a plan to the Legislative Assembly by December 31, 2010, with recommended policies and procedures for the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange developed in accordance with section 17, chapter 595, Oregon Laws 2009.

(L) Develop and submit a plan to the Legislative Assembly by December 31, 2010, with recommendations for the development of a publicly owned health benefit plan that operates in the exchange under the same rules and regulations as all health insurance plans offered through the exchange, including fully allocated fixed and variable operating and capital costs.

(m) By December 31, 2010, investigate and report to the Legislative Assembly, and annually thereafter, on the feasibility and advisability of future changes to the health insurance market in Oregon, including but not limited to the following:

(A) A requirement for every resident to have health insurance coverage.

(B) A payroll tax as a means to encourage employers to continue providing health insurance to their employees.

(C) Expansion of the exchange to include a program of premium assistance and to advance reforms of the insurance market.

(D) The implementation of a system of interoperable electronic health records utilized by all health care providers in this state.

(n) Meet cost-containment goals by structuring reimbursement rates to reward comprehensive management of diseases, quality outcomes and the efficient use of resources by promoting cost-effective procedures, services and programs including, without limitation, preventive health, dental and primary care services, web-based office visits, telephone consultations and telemedicine consultations.

(o) Oversee the expenditure of moneys from the Health Care Workforce Strategic Fund to support grants to primary care providers and rural health practitioners, to increase the number of primary care educators and to support efforts to create and develop career ladder opportunities.

(p) Work with the Public Health Benefit Purchasers Committee, administrators of the medical assistance program and the Department of Corrections to identify uniform contracting standards for health benefit plans that achieve maximum quality and cost outcomes and align the contracting standards for all state programs to the greatest extent practicable.

(2) The Oregon Health Policy Board is authorized to:

(a) Subject to the approval of the Governor, organize and reorganize the authority as the board considers necessary to properly conduct the work of the authority.

(b) Submit directly to the Legislative Counsel, no later than October 1 of each even-numbered year, requests for measures necessary to provide statutory authorization to carry out any of the board s duties or to implement any of the board s recommendations. The measures may be filed prior to the beginning of the legislative session in accordance with the rules of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

(3) If the board or the authority is unable to perform, in whole or in part, any of the duties described in ORS 413.006 to 413.042, 413.101 and 741.340 without federal approval, the authority is authorized to request, in accordance with ORS 413.072, waivers or other approval necessary to perform those duties. The authority shall implement any portions of those duties not requiring legislative authority or federal approval, to the extent practicable.

(4) The enumeration of duties, functions and powers in this section is not intended to be exclusive nor to limit the duties, functions and powers imposed on the board by ORS 413.006 to 413.042, 413.101 and 741.340 and by other statutes.

(5) The board shall consult with the Department of Consumer and Business Services in completing the tasks set forth in subsection (1)(j), (k) and (m)(A) and (C) of this section. [2009 c.595 9; 2011 c.9 55; 2011 c.720 125]