Oregon State Lawmakers Vote To Make Health Care A Right

On February 13, Oregon's Legislature took a step toward enshrining the right to health care in the state Constitution, by making access to health care a fundamental right.

The current bill would be amended to add a section to the state's constitution that reads, "It is the obligation of the state to ensure that every resident of Oregon has access to cost-effective, medically appropriate and affordable health care as a fundamental right."

Cedric Hayden, R-Fall Creek, House member and dentist said access to quality health care is a basic need, like food and water, but not a right.

“I believe health care is very important. It needs to be stable. But I also believe that our foster care system is important, our education system is important, our environment is important, and the jobs that we create for Oregonians are important,” Hayden said.

“Clearly, we all want Oregonians to have access to basic health care services, but to advance a constitutional amendment that has the potential to radically change our state in ways we do not yet understand strikes me as incredibly risky,” he further added.

The Senate will be receiving the amendment and if so approved and cleared by them, will go before voters at the next general election.

On February 13, all who spoke in favor of the Oregon bill said no Oregonian should lack access to medical care, but the opposition claimed that no plan to fund making health care access a right was there and warned that doing so would make the state vulnerable to lawsuits.

Rep. Mitch Greenlick described how he was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2005, and relied on insurance to pay huge treatment costs.

"If I didn't have insurance, I wouldn't be here," the Democrat from Portland said. "I would be dead."

He goaded lawmakers to pass the bill as "a moral decision."