Measure 101 wins big statewide – not in C.O.

(Update: Measure passes easily; late statewide, county numbers, reaction)

Oregon voters handily approved a state tax on hospitals and health insurers to pay rising Medicaid costs in a one-item special election Tuesday night — results announced first by Secretary of State Dennis Richardson on a Facebook Live broadcast.

Richardson said on the live feed at 8 p.m. that the initial results showed 65.9 percent in favor of Measure 101 to 34.5 percent opposed. He said he’d gone on Facebook to announce the results in a bid to garner more interest from younger people who use social media and get them involved in politics.

The first results posted moments later on the state’s Website showed 425,897 in favor, or 63.57 percent, to 244,043 opposed, or 36.43 percent, representing a turnout of just under 26 percent in votes counted to that point. It tightened up a bit by the end of the night, with a 61-39 percent approval margin, as nearly 36 percent of registered Oregon voters cast ballots.

Central Oregon counties’ results told a different story. In Deschutes County, the results were very close, as Measure 101 passed 52 percent to 48 percent, showing about a 1,500-vote difference out of nearly 36,000 ballots returned.

The results were far less close in Crook County, with about 62 percent of voters opposed to just 38 percent in favor. It was a similar set of numbers in Jefferson County — 57 percent opposed to 43 percent who supported Measure 101.

Tuesday’s single-issue election drew national attention because it gave voters — and not lawmakers — the final say on how to fund increasing health care costs.

The plan is a short-term fix for health care funding that will generate between $210 million and $320 million in revenue over two years.

Measure 101 creates a 0.7 percent tax on some hospitals and a 1.5 percent tax on the gross health insurance premiums and on managed care organizations.

Oregon aggressively expanded its Medicaid rolls under the Affordable Care Act. Now, just 5 percent of its population is uninsured.

Lawmakers must still come up with a long-term funding plan for the more than 350,000 people added to Medicaid and an overall increase in health care expenses.

Proponents said hundreds of thousands of low-income Oregonians could lose their health care if Measure 101 fails.

Opponents said the taxes are unfair because they exempt unions and large corporations.

The statewide and county results are available at:

http://results.oregonvotes.gov/

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Here were some reactions issued Tuesday night, first from House Republican Leader Mike McLane of Powell Butte:

“With the passage of Measure 101, we must now shift our focus to improving efficiencies within the Oregon Health Authority and in the administration of the Oregon Health Plan. Our state’s health care programs have suffered from chronic failure for years. This culture of incompetence cannot be excused or forgotten in the wake of this ballot measure. I hope legislators on both sides of the aisle will make it a priority to safeguard and protect the investment in our state government that Oregon taxpayers have affirmed tonight.”

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House Speaker Tina Kotek:

“Oregonians were loud and clear tonight: Health care is a right that we will protect. By passing Measure 101, Oregon voters affirmed that everyone has a right to access affordable health care – regardless of where they live or where they work. Thank you, Oregon voters, for keeping the state moving forward. ”

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Oregon Association of Hospitals:

Lake Oswego, OR — The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS) issued the following statement celebrating the passage of Measure 101 tonight. OAHHS, which represents all of Oregon’s 62 community hospitals, was a key supporter of the Yes for Healthcare coalition.

“On behalf of our patients and the communities we serve, Oregon’s hospitals are deeply gratified by the passage of Measure 101,” said Andy Davidson, president and CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. “We are appreciative of the partnership of so many organizations and individuals from across the state who helped to make this outcome possible.”

“Tonight’s vote is critical affirmation of our collective belief that Oregon is better off with a robust Medicaid program that tends to the needs of patients before, during and after an illness or the birth of a child. It is a recognition that our vulnerable friends and neighbors need access to the lifesaving services that our entire health care system provides. We are proud to have been an integral partner in fighting for these patients and their families.”

Hospitals have been longtime advocates for the Oregon Health Plan, working alongside the legislature for the last 15 years to develop funding solutions for the program that ensure coverage for as many Oregonians as possible.

In coming months, hospitals will work cooperatively with legislative leadership, the Governor and other stakeholders to craft additional sustainable funding solutions for the years to come to ensure the stability and health of the Oregon Health Plan. Hospitals are committed to continuing their work on future budget solutions that maintain coverage for Oregon’s most vulnerable.”