About COHO
The Coalition for a Healthy Oregon (COHO) is an association of 7 community-based, managed care organizations with the following mission:
Promote the delivery of accessible, high-quality, and cost-effective healthcare by community-based managed care delivery systems.
This community-based partnership guarantees Medicaid recipients access to healthcare and provides the most cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars.
Each COHO managed care plan covers between 4,500 and 38,000 members, with some covering a single county and others covering multiple counties. Approximately 80% of all Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members are enrolled in a managed care plan. COHO represents fully capitated health plans (FCHP) that locally administer the Oregon Health Plan, serving nearly one half of the FCHP enrollees across the state.
Put simply, without COHO the Oregon Health Plan does not work.
In 1997 when the large, commercial insurance plans started pulling out of the Oregon Health Plan because they weren’t realizing the level of profit they’d hoped for, our plans joined together to keep the OHP alive. Today, COHO plans continue to provide access to quality healthcare to many of Oregon’s most vulnerable populations.
COHO has a proven record of balancing the elements required to effectively serve the needs of OHP members:
- Cost: COHO plans receive a fixed payment for providing care to OHP members. This means the state knows up front what the cost of health care will be for the biennial state budget.
- Quality: Plans work outside of the normal fee-for-service Medicaid model to coordinate care, review outcomes and ensure that OHP members see the providers that are appropriate for their condition.
- Access: COHO plans ensure that each member has prompt and appropriate access to care at all levels, 24 hours a day.
Healthcare reform is a critical legislative concern during this 2009 session. While these discussions progress, COHO plans continue to provide accessible, high-quality, cost-effective healthcare to our state’s most vulnerable populations.
For more information about COHO or to find out what plans are in YOUR district contact our Government Affairs Director, Josh Balloch at 503 685 9400 or by email: Balloch@pacwestcom.com