OPCA's Public Policy Priorities
OPCA is the trusted voice of Oregon's 34 Community Health Centers before Congress, federal regulatory agencies, the Oregon Legislature, and state agencies and has been for 35 years. OPCA engages in public policy with the goal of improving the lives of Oregonians and the ability of community health centers to serve them. OPCA’s strategic priorities are to influence responsible federal and state public policy to protect and promote integrated primary, dental, and behavioral health care for all Oregonians, protect and grow resources and programs that attract and retain a quality health care workforce, shape the transformation of a quality health system to one that is accessible and affordable for everyone, and address the social determinants of health for the patients and communities served by community health centers.
In line with these goals, the following set of priorities were shaped by the OPCA Policy Committee and approved by the OPCA Board of Directors and will guide OPCA's government relations actions and advocacy.
In 2021, we are working with policymakers and partners to advance policy in the following areas:
- Coverage and Access for All
- Protect Oregonians’ right to comprehensive health care and enabling services that support patient health.
- Ensure Oregonians in rural and urban areas have access to vital health care services that meet the comprehensive health care needs of individual patients and communities.
- Ensure the implementation of the OHA’s Value-Based Payment model in CCOs does provide the appropriate financial incentives to achieve the goal of rewarding providers who deliver higher-quality and more affordable care.
- Delivery of Culturally Responsive Whole Person Integrated Care and Support Services
- Strengthen and appropriately fund population health services, such as immunizations, maternal/child health, behavioral and oral health, and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support in primary care.
- Improve the quality and delivery of care by promoting health care innovation and quality improvement through value-based pay.
- Help rural and urban communities strengthen the behavioral health delivery system through integration of mental health and substance use disorder service in the primary care setting.
- Maintaining a Strong Workforce
- Counter the nation’s shortage of health care workers, especially in underserved communities, by maintaining funding for innovative residency programs, improving loan repayment programs, reforming licensing requirements, and championing workforce development strategies especially among providers who are black, indigenous or people of color.
- Building Healthy Communities
- Address the social determinants of health (SDH) by looking at upstream, non-clinical factors in an effort to promote opportunity for all Oregonians to reach their full health potential and help people build a foundation of health in their communities.