Everyone should be able to get care when they need it — no matter where they live, what job they have, or how much they earn. But Oregon’s health care system isn’t working.
Costs keep rising. In 2023, 1 in 8 households reported that medical bills wiped out all or most of their savings. People are delaying treatment. Providers are overwhelmed. Small businesses are struggling to afford coverage.
Oregon is taking action
In 2022, voters made affordable health care a constitutional right. Now the state is working to make that promise real.
What the board is doing
The Legislature created the Universal Health Plan Governance Board in 2023 (Senate Bill 1089) to design a publicly funded health care system for Oregon, building on the earlier
Joint Task Force on Universal Health Care (Senate Bill 770, 2019). The board is charged with:
- Designing models for a publicly funded health plan covering everyone who lives in Oregon.
- Planning how the plan would be run, how to pay for it, and how it would work statewide.
- Getting input from people living in Oregon, such as health care users, providers, employers, insurers, tribes, and community leaders, as dictated by statute.
- Delivering final recommendations to the Legislature for consideration in 2027.
This work is guided by technical analysis, legal review, economic modeling, and broad public input.
The board has
nine members, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. At least five bring expertise in health care delivery, finance, or administration, and four represent community perspectives. By law, at least one member must have personal experience with barriers to care, ensuring that lived experience informs decisions.
Oregon’s five overarching principles
These principles come directly from Oregon Revised Statute (ORS), including Senate Bill 1089 and ORS Chapter 751. They reflect long-standing values in Oregon’s health system and guide how decisions should be made. Adopted by the Board in 2024.
Everyone should have a fair chance to be healthy, no matter their race, income, language, disability, age, gender, or where they live. Oregon law says these factors cannot create barriers to care or lead to worse outcomes. Achieving equity also means making sure power is shared, disparities are tracked and eliminated, and resources are aligned with needs.
People should be able to make informed decisions about their care, choose any qualified provider, and feel satisfied with the care they receive. Oregon must set clear health goals, use evidence-based care, and track improvement for the whole population. During public health emergencies, protecting community health may temporarily take priority over individual preference.
Everyone should have equitable access to care without discrimination, favoritism, or financial incentives that encourage providers to choose one patient over another. Care should be based on evidence and available from any qualified provider. Communities should help define what fairness means so the system protects people with the greatest needs.
No one should face financial harm because they are sick or need care, and cost should never prevent someone from getting treatment. Reducing surprise bills and confusing charges is important because uncertainty can be stressful for families. Preventive care, shared risk for high-cost events, and payment approaches that reflect an ability to pay, all reduce financial strain.
Communities should have a real voice in decisions, because the health plan directly affects their lives. Public funds must be managed responsibly and treated as a public trust, with any savings returned to community benefit. Good governance means transparency, accountability, and meaningful participation from the people the system serves.
Board work plan
The Universal Health Plan Governance Board has created and adopted a work plan that will guide its work. The work plan consists of tasks, deliverables, and timelines for the board and subsequent committees to ensure that all work is completed by Sept. 15, 2026. At minimum, the board will review the work plan every quarter and amend as needed.
Meetings
The Universal Health Plan Governance Board meets on the third Thursday of every month at 9 a.m. Virtual meeting registration, agendas, and
meeting materials can be found here.