People in Central Oregon have a chance this month to hear from a state-appointed task force driving the effort to bring a universal health care system to Oregon.
Members of the Universal Health Plan Governance Board, a nine-member body created by the Legislature in 2023 and appointed by the governor, will be in Bend April 19 as part of a nine-stop informational town hall tour hosted by Health Care For All Oregon, an advocacy group for universal health care.
The group is inviting the public to ask questions, share concerns and learn more at a town hall in Bend. The event will take place Saturday, April 25 from 3 pm to 5 pm at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 469 NW Wall Street.
According to the advocacy group, each event will feature a member of the health plan board, local community leaders and a speaker from Health Care for All Oregon. Attendees will hear about a proposed system modeled on a single-payer framework.
According to a press release, the health plan board is on track to deliver a report to the legislature by September, and lawmakers will take up the recommendation in the 2027 session.
The governing board’s website says the “new system will be simpler, more affordable, and more sustainable — cutting costs for families and businesses while building a healthier, more stable future for our state,” citing rising costs that have “wiped out” people’s savings.
Senate Bill 1089 created the governance board in 2023, building on 2019 legislation that created the Joint Task Force on Universal Health Care. That group created a blueprint for a “robust” system of universal health care, according to a 2022 report to the legislature.
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