Oregon's health care plan: one state's model

The Oregon plan has had a significant impact in the U.S., sparking a public debate over issues such as cost-containment and access. This paper follows the Oregon health care plan from its beginnings in 1987 to the present, discussing the plan's pros and cons, the final outcome of the proposed legislation, and its relation to the national health care reform package proposed by President Clinton. Arguments for the plan have included: its innovativeness, its plans to expand accessibility and contain health care costs, and its encouragement of public involvement in health care issues. Arguments against the plan are: it provides no guarantee of a minimal level of services for medical recipients and it rations health care for the poor based on prioritization of condition-treatment pairs.