By Becky Hultberg, president and CEO of the Hospital Association of Oregon

What makes a community a great place to live? It's pretty clear from recent public opinion research that Oregonians value safe and healthy communities. There are a variety of factors that go into what makes us feel safe and secure in our communities, including the confidence that if something happens, we'll be cared for. Oregon hospitals are foundational to that sense of safety and community, one that we always rely on but sometimes take for granted. Hospitals are a safety net to care for us and those we love when we need it most.  

Losing that sense of security diminishes our communities. Yet for the past five years, Oregon's community hospitals have grappled with mounting financial pressures that jeopardize their ability to continue serving as that critical safety net. The ability of hospitals to provide vital health care services, to employ Oregonians in their local communities, and to serve as trusted community partners is at risk, and with it is that sense of comfort and safety they provide.  

The hospital association has worked tirelessly to push for solutions, and I'm so glad that Gov. Tina Kotek has prioritized critical health care funding in her 2025 recommended budget. The budget strengthens Oregon's hospitals by including funding to support access to maternity care, train more health care workers, and assist hospitals that care for large numbers of low-income patients. It also calls for renewing the provider taxes to help secure matching federal funds for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). These measures alone will not solve the immense challenges facing hospitals, but they are a step in the right direction.  

This legislative session, our elected officials must act to protect access to health care in Oregon by supporting the governor's recommended budget. Without their action, we will face a compounding crisis--namely, OHP will not have enough funding to serve the one in three Oregonians on its rolls, and care will be at risk as hospitals are unable to weather unrelenting pressures including chronic underpayment from government health care programs like OHP.  

Hospitals are proud of the critical role they play in securing federal funding for OHP, which provides health coverage to some of our most vulnerable family members, friends, and neighbors. Through the expansion of this program, Oregon has been able to achieve a remarkable milestone: A full 97% of Oregonians are insured, the highest recorded insured rate in state history.   

But we have reached a point in our state where having health insurance doesn't mean you have access to doctors and hospitals. If you've tried to get an appointment with a primary care provider or spent time in an overcrowded emergency department, this rings true.  

About half of Oregon hospitals consistently lose money and many more barely make ends meet. That means they don't have the resources for the staff and infrastructure we all need, and that keep us cared for.  

OHP contributes to hospitals' financial distress by only paying them 56 cents for every dollar of care they provide to OHP members.  And when hospitals aren't paid enough to cover their costs, they are not able to continue to offer the kinds of services that we rely on to keep our communities safe, healthy and vibrant. 

On behalf of Oregon's 61 community hospitals--from Coos Bay to Enterprise and everywhere in between--I ask legislators to support the governor's budget, including supporting HB 2010 to reauthorize the provider taxes that help fund OHP and taking action to increasing funding for hospitals serving OHP members. These steps will not only protect access to care for all Oregonians but will help hospitals continue their important role in keeping our communities healthy and vibrant.