The Oregon Legislature created the Universal Health Plan Governance Board with Senate Bill (SB) 1089 in 2023. The board is charged with developing a comprehensive plan to finance and administer a universal health plan, which is due to the legislature no later than Sept. 15, 2026.
SB 1089 was a recommendation of the Joint Task Force on Universal Health Care, which was created by SB 770 in the 2019 legislative session. You can read the
joint task force’s recommendations in its final report. To learn more, visit the
Task Force on Universal Health Care webpage on the Oregon Health Authority website.
About the board
The Universal Health Plan Governance Board consists of nine members, each serving a four-year term and who are appointed by the Oregon governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Five members of the governance board must have expertise in health care delivery, finance operations, or public administration, and four members must be focused on public engagement.
Universal Health Plan Governance Board members must:
- Support the development of a comprehensive plan to finance and administer a universal health plan that is responsive to the needs of the state and expectations of the residents of this state as outlined in SB 1089.
- Support the values and principles expressed in SB 1089.
- Represent a variety of health care professionals and community perspectives, including individuals with experience as enrollees in Medicare and Medicaid, as well as those living without health insurance.
Board Work Plan
The Universal Health Plan Governance Board has created and adopted a work plan that will guide its work. The work plan consists of tasks, deliverables, and timelines for the board and subsequent committees to ensure that all work is completed by Sept. 15, 2026. At minimum, the board will review the work plan every quarter and amend as needed.
Background
The Universal Health Plan Governance Board and the deliverables outlined in Senate Bill (SB) 1089 were created based on recommendations of the Joint Task Force on Universal Health Care, created by SB 770 in 2019.
For more information, visit the following links: