Oregon CCO Proposal Delivered to the Legislature

The Oregon Legislature will decide this month on the Coordinated Care Organization plan proposed in House Bill 3650. The full proposal can be read here. There is specific mention of how health information techonology will be integrated into the program. The proposal recognizes variations in technology adoption and maturity throughout the state and implies a gradual increase in technology requirements. There is significant emphasis on Health Information Exchange in the proposal (page 26). This would include "Direct" secure messaging, so the pure technical hurdles do not seem daunting (especially for those providers already seeking Meaningful Use dollars). If this legslation is approved, the state will need to pursue approval at the federal level as well. The Oregon Health Authority has set a goal to have the first CCO launch in July of this year.