Before a crowd of about 300 at the Portland Convention Center, Richard Ellmyer got his turn at the microphone. He asked the three members of the Oregon House in the audience why legislators refused to acknowledge the letter signed by elected officials representing more than a million Oregonians, (See below) disrespecting them, the voters they represent and the American democratic process by preventing a legitimate and necessary discussion and debate about the wisdom of choosing to continue with the failed for-profit private health insurance industry model or an alternative single payer type approach such as the Oregon Community Health Care Bill. The legislators squirmed a bit but remained silent. This is what happens when the failed for-profit private health insurance industry has a grip on your vocal chords.

One of the microphone handlers, Carol Robinson, unilaterally decided to assume control and proclaimed that despite the encouragement of the official moderator, who at the beginning of the program encouraged discussion of all ideas placed on the public table, a comment that cut too close to the bone would not be allowed. Carol Robinson, the self-appointed guardian of forum political correctness sidelined the most fundamental issue of the future direction of health care reform in Oregon and stopped the conversation. This is in keeping with Carol Robinson's role as director of the Oregon Health Forum, a wholly owned subsidiary of the failed for-profit private health insurance industry. This is not the first time Carol Robinson has tired to stop the public debate on this matter and I'm sure not the last.

The Oregon Health Fund Board was created by the legislature to take the focus and the heat off the legislature while it was not in session. The OHFB will go out of business when the legislature reconvenes in January 2009. Added to Senate Bill 329 the OHFB recommendations will make for an enormously complicated and unworkable health care plan which will require a lawyer, and accountant and a seer to understand. This perpetuates exactly the same circumstance we have now which is to the overwhelming advantage of the failed for-profit private health insurance industry and the distinct disadvantage of Oregonians who want and need health care they can afford and UNDERSTAND.

There were four general types of comment/questions:

1. Young health care professionals sucking up to the Health Fund Board in an effort to get a funding recommendation for their specialty.

2. Heart wrenching personal health disaster stories most of which were caused by the failed for-profit private health insurance industry.

3. How much will this plan cost and who will pay for it?

4. Support for an alternative to the failed for-profit private health insurance industry such as a single payer type system.

The OHFB staffer who answered the questions was skillfully evasive about costs. What can be discerned from his responses and the online text of the OHFB plan is that early on hospitals and insurers will be taxed. The OHFB staffer implied that the hospitals and insurers could be trusted to eat those increases and not pass them on to their customers. (And if you believe that there's the Sarah Palin/Ted Stevens bridge to nowhere in Alaska I'd like to sell you.) Later, payroll and other unspecified taxes will be added. Cigarettes, wine and beer were identified as possible tax targets. No mention was made of their phenomenally powerful and successful lobbyists. There was also no mention of representative Mitch Greenlick's assertion at an Oregon Health Forum breakfast meeting that the cost would eventually grow to a Billion dollars annually in new taxes. Nor did the OHFB staffer identify a single candidate from any party running for the Oregon legislature, except Mitch Greenlick, who has been willing to tell voters that they support raising a Billion dollars in new taxes.

The most troubling and disingenuous answer given by the OHFB staffer was citing ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as the stone wall preventing consideration of any and all so-called single payer plans. The OHFB staffer's response was deliberately misleading. This is sometimes referred to as lying. It was given several times to blithely dismiss questions challenging the very basis and democratic authenticity of SB329 and the OHFB's reason for being.

Here is how the US Department of Labor describes ERISA:

"Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established pension and health plans in private industry... ERISA does not cover group health plans established or maintained by governmental entities."

It was already well known to the legislature and the OHFB that the Oregon Community Health Care Bill has no connection to ERISA prohibitions. The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is a government established plan. Yet despite this knowledge the OHFB staffer remained mute when the topic arose. This is the result when the failed for-profit private health insurance industry has a grip on your vocal chords.

There was no mention of the out of control, skyrocketing and unstoppable health care premiums paid by public institutions to public employees (See Below). SB329 and the OHFB recommendations completely ignore this critical aspect of Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis.

What You Can Do

The Portland Tribune recently published an editorial to which I responded with directions for action:

EDITORIAL

Don’t let candidates talks in generalities

Portland Tribune, The Gresham Outlook, Aug 30, 2008

http://www.portlandtribune.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=122006216322728900

• It’s also easy to talk about health care, but do little to nothing. It’s time for voters to INSIST that STATE and federal CANDIDATES address the topic in a much more specific way. What would candidates do to improve access to medical care, and how would they pay for it?

O.K. I totally agree with you. Thanks for making the point. Bravo. It's a far better and more useful approach to solving Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis than the Oregonian Editorial Board's worn out whines but still only a first step. Now you, the Portland Tribune, MUST follow up with a constant drumbeat of stories and opinion pieces asking/demanding candidates for elected public office in Oregon to respond to your health care solution questions. The Pamplin Media Group should consider sponsoring a public discussion on the subject.

As a voter and taxpayer I take your advise and INSIST:

That the following groups confront, discuss and debate the most fundamental conflict in the resolution of Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis. Should Oregon continue with the failed for-profit private health insurance industry as a model for reform or choose a single payer solution such as the Oregon Community Health Care Bill for Oregon's future?

A. Every candidate for the Oregon legislature

B. Every candidate for elected public office in Oregon

C. Every elected Oregon official from school board to the governor's office

D. The Oregon press corps - including the Portland Tribune

E. The Oregon Medical community

F. Oregon Public Employees

G. The Oregon Democratic Party

H. The Oregon Republican Party

I. The Oregon Health Forum

J. Every citizen of our state


Richard Ellmyer

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March 12, 2007

Dear House Speaker Merkley and Senate President Courtney:

The current legislative debate over health care reform in our state does not include our view that the profit oriented private health insurance industry must not be the model upon which a solution to Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis should be based and that Oregon elected officials - public employees - voters and taxpayers must have equal access to the same level of health care not a perpetuation of our current multitiered health insurance class system.

We request that you find a place holder bill in each chamber which would substitute in its entirety the language of the Oregon Community Health Care Bill (see attached) so that an alternative choice may be discussed and debated this session. The Oregon Community Health Care Bill is the only current fully formed piece of proposed legislation which supports our vision of health care reform. We would welcome others that also meet our requirements.

Thank you for your attention.


Sincerely,

Richard Ellmyer - Oregon Community Health Care Bill author 

Sam Adams - Portland City Council

Jeff Cogen - Multnomah County Commissioner

Edwars "Chip" Enbody - Hubbard City Council

Darrell Flood - Mayor of Lafayette

Bill Hall - Lincoln County Commissioner

Jim Needham - Mollala City Council

Michelle Ripple - Wilsonville City Council

Mary Schamehorn - Mayor of Bandon

Pete Sorenson - Lane County Commissioner


[Since this letter was published the following have added their support:

John Frohnmayer - Former candidate for US Senate

Tim Grimes - Staton City Council

David P. Trott - Mayor City of Umatilla]

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FYI - A Sampling Of Maximum Current Public Employer Contributions To Public Employee Health Insurance Benefits

Dollar figures are for individual paychecks per month.

Metro Regional Government - $ 1321

Multnomah County - $ 1,282

City of Eugene - $ 1,256

City of Portland - $ 1,246

Portland Public Schools - $ 1,217

Oregon State University - $1,188

Portland State University - $ 1,129

City of Gresham - $1,120

University of Oregon - $ 1,084

State of Oregon - $ 1,006

Beaverton School District - $ 921

Multnomah County ESD - $ 768

Lane ESD - $ 750