The following are all 1999 legislative bills we could find relating to medical care. The Republican controlled legislature voted overwhelmingly in favor of the health-care industry. Most bills benefiting patients were stopped in committee. These were the House Business & Consumer Affairs Committee, the House Human Resources Committee, the Senate Health & Human Services, and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Bill Number
The following are short descriptions. Most are copied from the editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced.
What happened
Establish requirements for health benefit plans that provide coverage or reimbursement of eye care services.
PASSED
Prohibit certain health insurers from excluding medical expenses resulting from injuries caused by third party that are incurred after judgment, settlement or compromise of claim against third party.
FAILED

in Committee
Requires insurers and self-insured employers to close all workers' compensation claims. Closes Evaluations Unit in Department of Consumer & Business Services.
PASSED
Expand scope of definition of group health insurance in Insurance Code. Limit application of small employer health insurance requirements to policies issued to single employer groups. Establish standard requirements for group health insurance benefit policies issued to groups other than single employer groups.
FAILED

in Committee
Continues exclusive remedy. Prevents injured workers from pursuing any tort action against employers for negligence, except in rare circumstances, even though employer is in violation of law. As long as employer puts all employees in similar risk of harm or death they are protected by law.
PASSED
Require health insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives.
FAILED

in Committee
Establish a statutory schedule for mammograms and gynecological examinations provided under health insurance policies.
PASSED
Create crime of insurance fraud. Impose punishment of five years' imprisonment, $100,000 fine, or both. Impose punishment of 10 years' imprisonment, $200,000 fine, or both, if physical injury was threatened or caused while committing crime.
FAILED

in Committee
Require health insurance coverage of specified physical therapy services.
FAILED

in Committee
Require Medicare supplement insurance outline of coverage to include statement specifying what policy does not provide coverage for. Direct Senior and Disabled Services Division to develop outreach program to educate Oregonians about long term care needs and options.
FAILED

in Committee
Require certain health insurance policies to cover conditions affecting temporo-mandibular joint.
FAILED

in Committee
Establish independent external review process for enrollees of health benefit plans.
FAILED

in Committee
Require insurers offering health benefit plans with prescription formularies to allow access to nonformulary drugs under certain conditions.
FAILED

in Committee
Require insurers offering health benefit plans with prescription formularies to allow access to nonformulary drugs under certain conditions.
FAILED

in Committee
Prohibit making or withholding payments to health service provider as incentive to reduce or limit services to health benefit plan enrollee.
FAILED

in Committee
The Safe Needle Bill. Require health care facilities to use needles with safety devices to protect employees from accidental needle sticks.
FAILED
Require insurance providers to accept or deny workers' compensation injury claims within 30 days. It's presently 90 days.
FAILED

in MLAC Committee
Establish a tax credit for corporations and people on premiums paid for long term care insurance.
PASSED
Provide health benefits to dependent children of health insurance policyholders in same manner and to same extent that benefits inure to policyholder.
FAILED

in Committee
Prohibit certain health insurers from excluding medical expenses resulting from injuries caused by third party that are incurred after judgment, settlement or compromise of claim against third party.
FAILED

in Committee

Require that health benefit plans cover cost of X-ray evaluation by physician specializing in radiology.
FAILED

in Committee

Prohibit health care providers from contracting for reimbursement from insurers for certain goods, devices and services at rates less than 90 percent of rate charged to uninsured patients. Exempts charges mandated by law.
FAILED

in Committee
Require health insurers to provide coverage of adolescent pregnancy.
FAILED

in Committee
Require health insurance coverage of costs of pregnancy and childbirth for all health benefit plans. Benefits are extended to enrollees, enrolled spouses and enrolled dependents.
PASSED
Authorize credit against minimum wage for medical insurance premiums paid by employer.
FAILED

in Committee
Create Oregon Health Sciences University Benefit Council to select health benefit plan options for university employees and students.
FAILED

in Committee
Allow primary care clinics in medically underserved areas to obtain reimbursement for unrecovered costs incurred in providing medical care to uninsured lower income persons.
FAILED

in Committee
Create cause of action for insureds and enrollees of health insurance carriers, health maintenance organizations and managed care entities for failure to exercise ordinary care.
FAILED

in Committee
Direct health insurers offering managed health insurance to be ready and willing to enter into medical services contracts with all providers of medical services.
FAILED

in Committee
Remove premium limitation restrictions and certain mandates for group high-deductible health benefit plans associated with medical savings accounts.
FAILED

in Committee

List compiled by Injured Workers' Alliance