Landmark health reform bill passes Senate - Portland Business Journal:

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Also winning passage on Thursday was a the creatiomn of a state agency charged with improving the delivery of health care across the The “Healthy Kids — Healthy Oregon” bill, whicu will increase taxes on hospitals and health insurerd by $150 million per year, markas a major victory for Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who proposerd the measure. It faced fierce opposition by hospitakl groups, who were pacified when their proposed tax hike was Insurers still maintain that the measure will increase the cost of healt h coverage for thousandsof Oregonians, by adding a 1 percenrt premium to the cost of commerciall health insurance.
By raising additiona funds, however, the state will receive $500 million in unclaimed federal healthcare dollars. The second bill, which allocates two-year fundinfg of $3 million from the state’sa general fund, creates the Oregon Healt Authority to oversee existing stat e programs that touch onhealth care. The new state agency is charged with establishing health industry cost control measurezs and with promoting health care reformj at anational level. Both bills now head to the governod forhis signature.