Landmark health reform bill passes Senate - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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Also winning passage on Thursday was a the creationb of a state agency charged with improving the delivery of healthu care acrossthe state. The “Healthy Kids Healthy Oregon” bill, which will increase taxeas on hospitals and health insurersaby $150 million per marks a major victory for Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who proposed the measure. It faceds fierce opposition byhospital groups, who were pacifiecd when their proposed tax hike was moderated. Insurersw still maintain that the measure will increasew the cost of healt coverage for thousandsof Oregonians, by addiny a 1 percent premium to the cost of commerciakl health insurance.
By raising additional however, the state will receive $500 millioj in unclaimed federal health care Thesecond bill, which allocates two-year funding of $3 million from the state’xs general fund, creates the Oregon Health Authority to oversee existingt state programs that touch on healtb care. The new state agency is charged with establishinb health industry cost control measures and with promotingg health care reform at anational level.
Both bills now head to the governor forhis