Primary Care in Oregon

Primary care transformation has been a focal point of OAFP advocacy and education in recent years. Here is an excellent introduction to the progress Oregon is making in supporting primary care.

A comprehensive study released by PSU in 2016 showed that the PCPCH program saved $240 million over the past 3 years, with savings increasing every year. This study is frequently cited by other primary care reformers around the country.

Track Primary Care Spending

In 2017, SB 934 was passed by the Oregon legislature and was  the first step in achieving some meaningful payment reform for primary care.  The bill requires most insurers, including commercial insurers, OEBB, PEBB and the CCOs,  to spend at least 12% of their total medical spend on primary care by the year 2023.  Here is an article about SB 934, which passed unanimously in the 2017 legislative session. These payments must extend to all PCPCH clinics. While the spending reports linked below cover each year since 2017, methodological changes, and a data vendor switch for the state’s All Payer Claims Database have meant that most years are not comparable to the years that came before. While trends in spending are difficult to discern, variation among payers remains significant. Unfortunately, this means that Oregon’s reporting efforts are not as useful as we had hoped.

Efforts are underway for the 2027 legislative session to update the report, and the utility of the program.

Primary Care Spending Reports

The OHA posts the most-recent Primary Care Spend Report here.