Oregon
According to statistics from Oregon’s Public Health Division, an estimated 82% to 86% of adult residents in the state reported good to excellent health from the year 2000 up to 2010. Oregon also excelled in air quality, and only a few counties have significant air pollutant levels. Jackson, Klamath, and Lane counties reduced air pollution by almost 50% through making wood-burning stoves more efficient and limiting their use for the winter season.
Oregon is making progress in minimizing cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses that generally indicate an aging population. Thanks to reduced prevalence of smoking and improved cardiac care, the state’s cases of hospital admission due to cardiac arrest are decreasing steadily. However, increasing obesity among residents accounts for the gradual rise of diabetes incidence in Oregon.
Along with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, Alzheimer’s also requires some form of long term care. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that 34% of Oregon’s nursing facility residents with cognitive difficulties sought care for moderate to severe conditions in 2009.
Cost of Care
Below are the average daily cost* of long term care services in Oregon.
| City | Nursing Facility1 | Assisted Living1 | Adult Day Care2 | Home Health Aide3 |
| Portland | $263 | $114 | $94 | $126 |
| Salem | $274 | $106 | $65 | $132 |
Notes:
*Costs are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
1Daily average for a private room.
2Based on five days of care per week.
3Based on six hours of care per day, five days per week.
Insurance Options
Insurers for long term care coverage in Oregon began marketing Partnership policies on January 1, 2008. The state’s Department of Human Services, Department of Consumer and Business Services, and privately-owned insurance carriers supervise the Partnership program.
Insurers that sell LTCI policies in Oregon include Allianz Life, American General Life, Continental Casualty, Genworth, MedAmerica, Mutual of Omaha, Physician’s Mutual, RiverSource Life, State Farm, and Transamerica.
Oregon is one of the 36 states where Transamerica sells its recently-created LTCI product called TransCare® III. While its predecessor, TransCare® II, is generally marketed toward groups, individuals can readily buy TransCare® III. Moreover, the product features expansion for waiting period, a higher benefit amount, and LTCI policy riders.
In Oregon, state residents call the person who markets LTCI policies a ‘producer’ instead of an ‘agent’.
State Long Term Care Programs
Individuals who depend on skilled nursing care in a facility or home health care can be supported by Medicare Part A. Part B of the government health program, on the other hand, pays for care services and can provide the necessary medical supplies. Noridian Healthcare Solutions serves as the insurer of Oregon’s Medicare Part B benefits.
Enrollment for the CareOregon Advantage Plan is available in nine counties. Also known as COA, this plan covers Medicare Part A, Part B, and medications. Medicare clients who prefer the Medicare Advantage plan, and persons eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, can benefit from COA.
With the state’s legislative reforms in Medicaid over the years, this government health program came to be known as the Oregon Health Plan, or OHP. Since the creation of OHP, an increasing number of impoverished Oregon residents receive the needed health and LTC services. The Oregon Health Plan prioritizes the allocation of benefits depending on the persons’ care conditions and treatment.
As with a given number of states, Oregon runs a State-Based Marketplace rather than a Federally-facilitated Marketplace for prospective Medicaid clients. State residents call it Cover Oregon.
More Resources
To get more specific information regarding long term care services and insurance options in Oregon, please check the following websites:
Offers information and other resources for seniors and people with disabilities who rely on LTC.
Oregon Health Care Association
Helps by locating care settings, informing about care options, and notifying about state LTC events.
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