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CLEAR Temp: 65 °F Wind: NW at 4 mph Tuesday, August 12, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 31, 2003 Legislators agree to hospital surcharge By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — House Republicans announced an agreement Wednesday for a surcharge on hospitals to shore up the ailing Oregon Health Plan — a proposal that was floated back in January by Democratic Rep. Alan Bates of Ashland. The surcharge would raise an estimated $100 million a year but would leverage another $150 million to $200 million in federal Medicaid dollars. The funds will be used to restore hospitalization benefits from some 68,000 "working poor" who faced losing that care. Announcing the agreement with the Oregon Association of Hospitals were Reps. Rob Patridge, R-Medford, and Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg. Also at the news conference was Ken Rutledge, hospital association president. Bates, conspicuous by his absence at the news conference, congratulated Rutledge afterwards for agreeing to the surcharge. "You’ve really stepped up in a big way," he said. Advertisement Bates introduced his surcharge bill at the start of the session. In addition to hospitals, it would have extended the surcharge to doctors and pharmacists. However, it provoked a firestorm of protests from medical providers. "I’m still picking the buckshot out of my butt," Bates quipped. Patridge noted that without hospitalization, low-income patients usually wind up in emergency rooms where they are often unable to pay. Those costs are spread to those with health insurance through higher premium charges. Kruse, who chaired the Health and Human Services Committee, said the surcharge "was absolutely my last choice, but (we) couldn’t get there with existing resources." He said hospitals are a vital and important component in health care. The surcharge will be temporary — two years — and smaller rural hospitals may be exempted. The House Budget Committee had planned to report the massive human services budget to the floor for a vote Wednesday. But that was delayed to allow the new numbers from the surcharge to be plugged in. Up until three weeks ago, Bates had been involved in the negotiations for a surcharge, but then he was dropped — another indication the Republicans want to make the new dollars their issue. Bates said he didn’t want to focus on politics. "This is a huge step, a massive step," he said, adding that "the key is in the details." Other signs that the GOP majority in the House wants to beef up spending for social service programs was the decision to fund Oregon Project Independence. Some $11 million is now reserved for about 4,000 older and disabled homeowners who can no longer take care of their daily needs without some assistance and might otherwise wind up in nursing homes. Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, wants to add another $9.48 million by taking general fund dollars from the state parks budget and putting them into the Project Independence budget. Parks would make up the revenue through an RV and camp-trailer fee increase contained in the $2.3 billion bridge and highway repair bill. "I’m still working on the leadership for that money," Richardson said. Don Jepsen is a free-lance writer living in Salem. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times