Addressing the provider shortage in Portland.

One major pressure that surfaced during our 2025 Listening Season was inability to access healthcare. We heard multiple stories about the inability to find providers, long waits for appointments, difficulty finding providers who accept Medicaid and those on Medicaid whose ability to work is limited by the income cap.  Over the summer, the team has met with providers, experts on the issue, legislators and health advocacy nonprofits.  After studying the issue, they are focused on:

• Ways to decrease administrative bloat, particularly as it relates to interactions with insurance providers
• Ways to make it easier for international medical students to train in Oregon
• Ways to make it easier for doctors from other states (or countries) to practice in Oregon