© 2024 | Jefferson Public Radio
Southern Oregon University
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6301 | 800.782.6191
a service of Southern Oregon University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Group Says Roughly 1 in 10 Oregonians Remains Uninsured

Oregon State Capitol in Salem.
Wikimedia
Oregon State Capitol in Salem.

A group that's lobbying for expanded health coverage said the number of uninsured Oregonians may be higher than previously thought.

The Oregon Health Equity Alliance said as many as 10 percent of the state's residents aren't covered. The group said it used data from a Census Bureau survey to arrive at that figure.

Joseph Santos-Lyons spoke at a state capitol press conference held by the Health Equity Alliance.

"This report recognizes that while having health insurance is no guarantee of actually receiving care, it is a primary driver of good health outcomes,” he said.

The group's estimate of uninsured Oregonians is nearly twice as high as the rate found in a study last year by Oregon Health and Science University.

Santos-Lyons said accessing care is hardest for immigrants, people of color, LGBT people and rural Oregonians.

Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network

Chris Lehman
Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.