On January 23rd Oregon voters will participate in a special election to decide State Measure 101. The Oregon Education Association and The PAT have joined over 90 groups, including Oregon Nurses Association, AARP, and the Oregon Medical Association in endorsing Measure 101 for a healthy Oregon.
Measure 101 guarantees healthcare for Oregon’s most vulnerable – children, seniors and people with disabilities – who otherwise wouldn’t be able to see a nurse or doctor when they get sick.
As educators, we know how important access to healthcare is for student success. Something as easy to address as a toothache can keep students out of school when they don’t have insurance. And when families don’t have access to care, they often end up in the emergency room, costing far more than preventative measures.
Measure 101 will impose a temporary assessment on health insurance companies, hospitals, managed care organizations and the Public Employees’ Benefits Board. These funds will bring in hundreds of millions of federal dollars to provide healthcare for low-income Oregonians and stabilize health insurance premiums.
More than 400,000 Oregonians count on the Oregon Health Plan, which will be funded with Measure 101.
Without Measure 101, the state legislature will be forced to make some very difficult budgetary choices, potentially jeopardizing education funding.
If you are new to Oregon or are not registered to vote, the voter registration deadline is January 2, 2018. You may register to vote by going to Oregon Secretary of State Voter Registration webpage.
Join educators from around the state in voting YES on Measure 101 for critical healthcare funding for our students on January 23rd.