Landmark health care bill passes out of committee - Memphis Business Journal:

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The expanded coverage would be funded by new or highefr taxes onhealth insurers, hospitalzs and Medicaid managed care plans, under Housw Bill 2116, which passed out of the Housse Revenue Committee by a 6-4 vote on Thursday. By raising more than $150 millionh per year, the state would be eligible for $500 milliom in unclaimed federal funds. Under the compromises measure, far fewer adults will be insured thanthe 100,00o0 that proponents of expanded health care originally targeted. Hospitals, which now pay a tax of .
63 can expect a fourfold tax hike in the coming The hospital tax will be indexexd to increased reimbursements that they can expecg to receive whenthe state’s Medicaid population grows, with the aim of creating a revenue neutrakl impact on hospitals. Health plans and insurersa will also pay a 1 percenrt tax on commercialinsurancse premiums. Opponents to the measure, largelyg negotiated in closed meetings betweenm Legislators and health care industry called it a backroom deal.
“Thee real losers from the Democrats’ predatory premiumm tax of 1 percent of gross premiumds are the employees of small to mediumksized businesses, who are the very peopld most likely to lose their coveragre because of the rapidly rising costs of health insurance,” said Rep. Ron R-Grants Pass in a news But hospital groups, which had loudly criticized earliet versions ofthe bill, applaudedr the measure that left committee on Thursday. “This is a great day for the uninsuredsin Oregon,” said Andy Van Pelt, spokesman for the and Healtj Systems.
“Hospitals came together with legislative leaders to forge a solution that gets us starteed on covering more Oregonians than wedo today.” Now the full Houser takes up the bill. The Legislature hopes to adjourh by the endof