HCR 202

83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2026 Regular Session
  Enrolled
  House Concurrent Resolution 202
Sponsored by COMMITTEE ON RULES (at the request of John Kitzhaber for Health System
   Sustainability Group)
     Whereas the State of Oregon has declared affordable, cost-effective and clinically appropriate
health care to be a fundamental right of every resident; and
     Whereas the State of Oregon has been successful in expanding health care coverage for chil-
dren, individuals and families; and
     Whereas the State of Oregon has among the lowest rates in the country of individuals without
health care coverage; and
     Whereas the State of Oregon has invested in strategies to promote high-value, high-quality care;
and
     Whereas the State of Oregon has prioritized initiatives to increase value-based payments and
strategies to reduce health inequities; and
     Whereas the State of Oregon continues to prioritize incentives for client-driven, team-based care
models in primary and behavioral health care settings; and
     Whereas the State of Oregon has implemented patient protection programs to reduce the con-
ditions that cause medical debt; and
     Whereas the State of Oregon has invested in cost containment strategies; and
     Whereas in spite of those strategies, the cost of health care continues to rise and is becoming
unaffordable for individuals, employers and government; and
     Whereas Oregon is facing increased pressures to maintain affordable access to health care ser-
vices; and
     Whereas Oregon is projected to lose over $8 billion in federal Medicaid funds over the next
three biennia; and
     Whereas the intersection of rising health care costs and the loss of federal funds will put un-
precedented pressure on the General Fund, which will:
     (1) Compromise access to care, particularly in rural parts of this state; and
     (2) Undermine the state’s ability to invest in other priorities, such as education, housing and
economic opportunity, many of which have a direct impact on the health of the population; and
     Whereas 15 percent of Oregonians have delayed or avoided needed medical care because of cost;
and
     Whereas the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in Oregon is the inability to pay a medical
bill; and
     Whereas over half of Oregon’s hospitals are operating at a loss; and
     Whereas medical clinics and practices, including independent and primary care practices, are
struggling to remain solvent; and
     Whereas the rising cost of care is driving higher premiums, copayments and deductibles for
employees, higher premiums for employers and straining budgets for both businesses and consumers;
and
     Whereas there are multiple factors driving the increasing cost of care, including:
     (1) A payer mix with a large proportion of publicly funded health care programs such as
Medicaid and Medicare;
     (2) Oregon’s regulatory environment;
     (3) A decline in Oregon’s primary care infrastructure and growing workforce needs;
Enrolled House Concurrent Resolution 202 (HCR 202-A)  Page 1
    (4) Inefficiencies, waste, low-value care and misaligned incentives in health care delivery sys-
tems and payment models;
    (5) Other cost drivers and trends, including prescription drugs, labor and workforce costs and
the significant number of Oregonians who have high acuity behavioral health needs that affect all
systems;
    (6) The need for greater focus on primary prevention;
    (7) The disparity between unlimited demand and the reality of finite resources; and
    (8) Unit price across all markets; and
    Whereas all of those factors must be addressed to achieve a sustainable solution; and
    Whereas the escalating cost of health care is threatening the health and well-being of
Oregonians, the stability of the General Fund and the competitiveness of businesses; and
    Whereas systemic issues of cost and access cannot be turned around in a single biennium; and
    Whereas federal funding decisions will create an immediate budgetary cliff that will exacerbate
Oregon’s health care challenges; and
    Whereas addressing the crisis will require a consistent set of budgetary and policy decisions
over the course of three biennia, guided by a long-term policy vision; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
     That we, the members of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly, declare a state policy goal that
by 2033, through the collective and collaborative efforts of elected leaders, Oregon businesses,
health care providers, health insurers and labor leaders, we will live in a state where:
     (1) All Oregonians have timely access to a patient-centered primary care home and to quality,
affordable health care services;
     (2) Health outcomes are improving;
     (3) Our health care system is far less complex than it is today, is easy to access and navigate
for individuals and is enjoyable to practice in for providers and other health care workers;
     (4) Hospitals and medical clinics and practices, including independent practices, have pathways
to sustainability;
     (5) Employers can afford to offer health insurance through the workplace and employees can
afford to take advantage of it;
     (6) Unnecessary utilization, unit price and total cost of care trends are below the national av-
erage; and
     (7) Consumer access to high-value, affordable care is above the national average.
Enrolled House Concurrent Resolution 202 (HCR 202-A)  Page 2
  Adopted by House February 24, 2026
  Timothy G. Sekerak, Chief Clerk of House
  Julie Fahey, Speaker of House
  Adopted by Senate March 4, 2026
  Rob Wagner, President of Senate
Enrolled House Concurrent Resolution 202 (HCR 202-A)  Page 3