State Lifts ATRIO Supervision Order After Insurer Restores Financial Stability (Photo) - 07/23/26

Salem – The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) announced today that it has lifted the order of supervision to ATRIO Health Plans, Inc.

DFR originally put ATRIO under supervision April 13, 2026, because of concerns over the insurer’s financial condition. The company had suffered excessive operating losses over the previous 12 months. Additionally, the financial condition of the company created a claims backlog that caused provider payments to go unpaid. 

DFR determined that the conditions giving rise to the supervision no longer exist and the company had taken steps to significantly improve its policyholders’ surplus; therefore, DFR terminated the supervision of the company on July 14. The division was assisted on supervising the company by the California Conservation and Liquidation Office (CACLO).

As of March 31, 2026, ATRIO enrolled a total of about 36,292 Oregonians in its Medicare Advantage plans. The enrollees are in Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, and Yamhill counties.

“Terminating the supervision of ATRIO is a successful step in the process of regulating insurance companies,” said Oregon Insurance Commissioner TK Keen. “DFR, together with the CACLO team, has shown the strength of the state-based system of regulation and the work we do each day to improve the marketplace for consumers.”

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About Oregon DFR: The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation protects consumers and regulates insurance, depository institutions, trust companies, securities, and consumer financial products and services. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

Oregon OSHA Invites Applications For Grants To Improve Worker Safety And Health Training And Education (Photo) - 07/21/26

Training and educating Oregon workers about staying safe and healthy while on the job is vital to cultivating safe and healthy working conditions. To help expand training and education opportunities, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) offers a grant program that supports ideas to improve the safety and health of Oregon workers in high-hazard industries. And we are ready to help you bring your ideas to fruition.

The division is accepting grant applications to create innovative workplace safety or health training or education projects. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. Oregon OSHA prioritizes  projects that engage workers on essential workplace safety or health topics. Projects may include an eye-catching safety publication or a time-saving training video or a multi-media package of best practices for a specific job task.

Go online to learn about how to apply or contact Theodore (Ted) Bunch at 971-375-8001 or email theodore.bunch@dcbs.oregon.gov. A fact sheet includes more details about the grant program.  

The grant program focuses on high-hazard industries in Oregon, including forestry, construction, and agriculture. A grant application may concentrate on a specific work process, targeting a reduction or elimination of related hazards. Nonprofit organizations, labor and employer associations, and educational institutions may apply for grants.

Grants may not be used to pay for projects that are purely for research, ongoing activities, or for activities required by law. Only new or substantially expanded projects will be considered for funding. Oregon OSHA is seeking project ideas that advance workplace safety and health training or education. We are not looking for ideas that handle concerns that have already been addressed. Materials produced by grant recipients cannot be sold for profit. All grant materials become available to the public. Depending on the type of project, some materials will be housed in the Oregon OSHA Resource Center while some will be available online.

Some examples of past grant projects include:

• Translation into Spanish of pesticide labels used in reforestation in Oregon and Washington
• Development of a series of toolbox talks addressing suicide prevention in the construction industry
• A virtual reality training for health care providers to help identify hazards related to infection control and prevention in hospitals
• Creation of safe-design guidelines for anchoring systems used as part of logging operations
• An educational program for nurses to prevent ergonomic-related injuries
• Videos and related training aids describing the most prevalent health hazards in construction: silica, lead, noise, and asbestos
• Spanish-language flip charts designed to help prevent heat illness among forest workers

The Oregon Legislature launched the Occupational Safety and Health Education and Training Grant Program in 1990. Award recommendations are made by Oregon OSHA’s Safe Employment Education and Training Advisory Committee, a group with members from business, labor, and government.

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About Oregon OSHA: Oregon OSHA enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit osha.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

Oregon OSHA Reminds Employers Of Requirements To Protect Workers From Heat Illness, Wildfire Smoke; Free Resources Available To Help (Photo) - 07/20/26

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) is reminding employers of requirements to protect workers from the hazards of extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The division offers free resources to help employers comply with requirements and to help workers understand their rights to safe and healthy workplaces.

Heat illness prevention

Under Oregon’s heat illness prevention rule, employers must implement protections, including adequate water, rest, shade, acclimatization (gradual adaptation to working in the heat), communication and training, and emergency plans. The rule applies to workplaces whenever an employee is working and the heat index equals or exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit. More protective measures apply when the heat index exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

The heat illness prevention requirements apply across industries and where employers provide housing as a condition of employment. Here are the key requirements:

• General workplaces: English/Spanish 
• Employer-provided housing: English/Spanish

All heat illness prevention resources are available on Oregon OSHA's A-to-Z topic index page. They include a video training in English and Spanish that satisfies certain training elements of the rule.

Wildfire smoke

Oregon’s wildfire smoke rule applies to employers whose employees are or will be exposed to hazardous levels of wildfire smoke. The harmful chemicals and tiny particles in wildfire smoke can make anyone sick. The tiny particles of most concern is the particulate matter with a diameter in micrometers of 2.5 or less, commonly referred to as PM2.5.

The rule’s protective measures include assessment and monitoring of air quality where workers are exposed; provision and documentation of employee training; implementation of two-way communication; use of engineering and administrative controls, such as relocation of workers to enclosed buildings or to outdoor locations where air quality is better, and work schedule changes to reduce exposures; and use of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved filtering facepiece respirators.

The key requirements are available in English and Spanish. Go online to watch an Oregon OSHA video about how to put on and use a respirator.

All wildfire smoke resources are available on Oregon OSHA's A-to-Z topic index page. They include a video training in English and Spanish that satisfies certain training elements of the rule.

Free resources for employers

Oregon OSHA offers free resources to help improve workplace safety and health, including:

Consultation services – provides employers free and confidential help with safety and health programs, including how to control and eliminate hazards, and hands-on training. The services involve no fault, no citations, and no penalties.

• Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
• Field offices
• Online
• Email: consult.web@dcbs.oregon.gov

Technical staff – helps employers understand requirements and how to apply them to their worksites

• Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
• Online
• Email: tech.web@dcbs.oregon.gov

Worker safety and health rights

Under the Oregon Safe Employment Act, workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace and the right to raise concerns free of retaliation. Under the law, employers must maintain safe and healthy working conditions.

More resources
 

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, which includes Oregon OSHA as a division, maintains the Multicultural Communications Program that provides outreach to communities with limited English proficiency. That outreach encompasses information about on-the-job safety and health.
 

The Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers provides help with understanding workplace safety and health rights, and workers’ compensation rights.

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About Oregon OSHA: Oregon OSHA enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit osha.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

Free Worker Safety, Health Trainings Arriving In Rural Oregon Communities (Photo) - 07/13/26

Free worker safety and health training workshops are coming to rural communities in Oregon this summer thanks to a partnership between the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) and the Oregon Employment Department.

The training workshops – designed for those in the workforce and people seeking work – will show people how to protect themselves at work from the four hazards that pose the greatest risk of death in the construction industry: falls, caught in or between, struck-by, and electrocution. In addition to the “focus four” training, the workshops will address heat-illness prevention, workers’ rights and whistleblower protections, and information for workers and employers in small businesses. The four-hour workshops will feature certificates of completion and continuing education credits.

The training workshops – presented by Oregon OSHA staff members – will be held at WorkSource Oregon centers. The following locations are currently scheduled, with more to come:

• July 28 – 1 p.m. Hermiston
• July 30 – 1 p.m. The Dalles
• Aug. 4 – 1 p.m. La Grande
• Aug. 11 – 8:30 a.m. Klamath Falls
• Aug. 17 – 9 a.m. McMinnville
• Aug. 18 – 1 p.m. Pendleton

To register for a training workshop and location, go to: https://dcbs.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Z8yoLuhb8kh4DI

Those who have questions or who want more information about the workshops and locations may contact Greig Lowell, consultation and outreach manager for Oregon OSHA: greig.k.lowell@dcbs.oregon.gov or 971-352-1181.

The training workshops stem from a $200,000 grant that Oregon OSHA secured in September 2025 to increase workplace safety and health training in rural communities. The division received approval of the grant through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor Susan Harwood Training Grant Program.

The grant program funds preselected applicants to develop and deliver training on workplace hazard recognition, as well as abatement and prevention of workplace safety and health injuries and illnesses. It emphasizes six areas: educating workers and employers in small businesses; training workers and employers on identifying and preventing serious workplace safety and health hazards; training workers facing barriers to safety and health training; training workers and employers about new safety and health standards; developing and sharing materials to train and educate workers; and educating workers on their rights and employers on their responsibilities. This training material was produced under grant number 25F50SH000219 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Under the Oregon Safe Employment Act, Oregon workers have a right to safe and healthy working conditions. They have a right to speak up when those conditions are lacking or absent. Employers must create and maintain safe and healthy workplaces.

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About Oregon OSHA: Oregon OSHA enforces the state’s workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit osha.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

State Warns About Life Insurance Fraud Ring Targeting Older Adults (Photo) - 07/01/26

Salem – The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is warning people about a recently detected fraud ring that is signing up people for life insurance without their knowledge or consent. The fraud, which targets mostly older adults, has been found in multiple states, including Oregon.

Here is how the fraud, which involves licensed insurance agents, works:

Victims receive multiple telemarketing calls in which they tell the telemarketer personal information. The information collected during these telemarketing calls is then shared with the insurance agents participating in the fraud ring. The agents then cold call the victim to obtain any additional personal information needed to complete an application for a life insurance policy, which gets submitted without the victim’s knowledge or consent. The life insurance policy, or in many cases multiple policies,  is issued and the agent is paid a commission for the sale of the policy, even though the policy has not yet been paid for at this point. When the insurance company attempts to collect the first premium payment, the fraud is discovered..

“Because the insurance company is paying upfront commissions to the agents, the companies are experiencing high losses as a result of this fraud ring,” said TK Keen, Oregon insurance commissioner and DFR administrator. “Additionally, the victims of the fraud ring are being targeted for other scams and schemes, putting them at risk for future fraud.”

DFR has a website with tips to help protect yourself from fraud. Among those tips are the following:

• Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry.​​
• ​​Do not answer the phone if you do not know the caller. If you do answer, hang up if it is a robot, a stranger, or someone pressuring you.
• If you do not know the sender, do not respond to texts, emails, or click on a link.​​
• ​​Question everything. If you do not understand something, do not sign it or agree to it.
• Never give personal identifying information to strangers.
• ​​Ask your credit card company and bank if they can put a fraud alert on your accounts.
• ​​Monitor your financial accounts regularly.
• Consider enlisting a trusted family member or reputable bill-paying service. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging for help with routine payments.
• Execute a power of attorney only if you have someone you trust completely, and only after consulting with an attorney. Be sure to ask about gifting clauses, and limit the power you give your selected person. Only grant authority that is necessary.​​

DFR’s consumer advocates are always there to help with questions or to file a complaint. You can reach them at 1-888-877-4894 (toll-free) or email DFR.InsuranceHelp@dcbs.oregon.gov for insurance help and dfr.financialserviceshelp@dcbs.oregon.gov for financial services help.

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About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation protects consumers and regulates insurance, depository institutions, trust companies, securities, and consumer financial products and services. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

Special Enrollment Period Open For Innovative Partners, American Collective Health Plan Members (Photo) - 06/24/26

Salem – HealthCare.gov has opened a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for people who were enrolled in an Innovative Partners or American Collective health plan at any time during 2026, even if the plan has already been canceled.

The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Innovative Partners, LP (doing business as Innovative Health Plan and Healthcare Plan) and American Collective, LP (doing business as ACLP Health Plan) for deceptively marketing noncomprehensive medical discount memberships and limited benefit plans as comprehensive insurance or preferred provider organization (PPO).

The SEP started June 11, 2026, and runs through Aug. 10, 2026. The SEP allows affected individuals and families to transition into comprehensive Marketplace coverage. They can find coverage by visiting HealthCare.gov.

If you have issues getting new health insurance, call HealthCare.gov at 800-318-2596 (toll-free) and tell them you are an Innovative Partners or American Collective customer and seeking new coverage. Your Marketplace coverage will generally begin on the first day of the month after you select a plan. To activate your coverage, you must pay your first premium.

You could qualify for an earlier effective date for your Marketplace plan; however, you would need to pay your first month’s premium and premiums for previous months for coverage to start.

The court has appointed a receiver in the case – Paul Lopez from Tripp Scott. The Innovative Receiver website has more information, including consumer victim forms and updates. People can also email innovativereceiver@trippscott.com.

It is important to visit HealthCare.gov or work with an Oregon licensed agent in obtaining coverage. Get free local help from a licensed Oregon insurance agent who can help you understand your options and enroll in coverage by visiting OregonHealthCare.gov/GetHelp. Put in your ZIP code and click Marketplace (HealthCare.gov). Agents will have an “A” next to their name. There is also assistance available from community partners.

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About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation protects consumers and regulates insurance, depository institutions, trust companies, securities, and consumer financial products and services. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.