A perspective from the Yes on Measure 101 campaign

As a physician, I have seen firsthand the benefits of improved access to healthcare in our community. That’s why I join so many of our neighbors in supporting Measure 101. No one should have to choose between healthcare and medical bankruptcy. The lack of access to quality and affordable health care results in high human and economic costs.
 

When I came to Salem from Stillwater, Oklahoma years ago, 19 percent of Oregonians lacked health insurance, about the same rate as Oklahoma. The patients I saw in both states had much in common. Many only saw doctors when a medical crisis sent them to the emergency room, a costly option. Regular screenings and exams could have prevented a myriad of health problems, complications, and costs, but
without the financial means, these patients and their ills went untreated for years, leading to advanced disease states and even premature deaths.

In 2014, Oregon opened Medicaid to more low-income people, providing basic health coverage to hundreds of thousands of our most vulnerable citizens, including children, working families, disabled adults and seniors. Locally, 29 percent of Marion County’s population, and 23 percent of those living in Polk County are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan.

In just three years, this has helped shrink the percentage of uninsured Oregonians to 5 percent.

Initially, our Salem area clinics and hospitals saw a wave of seriously ill patients who had not received basic primary care or even an annual physical in years. Through better coordinated care, we have achieved health benefits and lower costs for people who depend on Medicaid.

Today, we help these patients manage chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes so they can avoid expensive emergency room visits that drive up premiums for everyone.

Even more promising is the rise in adults and children who come in for regular health screenings and preventive care. Children with Medicaid coverage see dentists regularly and get their immunizations on time so they can stay healthy and go to school. Adults get Pap smears, mammograms, and colonoscopies, and
access to services that help people quit smoking or make healthy choices about diet and exercise. These are the patients who may avoid chronic illness altogether because we can catch problems before they develop into devastating illnesses.

Back in Oklahoma, the state chose not to expand Medicaid coverage. The uninsured rate there remains in the double digits, among the highest in the country. I don’t want to return to a place where people can’t afford to visit a doctor when they need to.

Oregonians don’t want to regress either. That’s why more than 160 organizations, including the Oregon Medical Association, the Oregon Nurses Association, AARP, the League of Women Voters and many more are supporting Measure 101.

It’s why thousands of volunteers across Oregon are knocking on doors and
making phone calls to urge our neighbors to vote "yes" in January. Please join us!

Dr. Kathleen Harder can be reached at 
www.yesforhealthcare.org.