Read the full stored bill text
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 376
Sponsored by Senator WEBER (at the request of former Senator Lynn Findley) (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act says what “rural” means for the rural health care provider incentive program.
(Flesch Readability Score: 65.7).
Defines “rural” for purposes of the rural health care provider incentive program.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to health care provider incentives; amending ORS 676.454.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
ORS 676.454, as amended by section 119, chapter 73, Oregon Laws 2024, is
amended to read:
676.454. (1) There is created in the Oregon Health Authority a health care provider incentive
program for the purpose of assisting qualified health care providers who commit to serving medical
assistance and Medicare enrollees in rural or medically underserved areas of this state. The au-
thority shall prescribe by rule:
(a) Participant eligibility criteria, including the types of qualified health care providers who may
participate in the program;
(b) The terms and conditions of participation in the program, including the duration of the term
of any service agreement, which must be at least 12 months;
(c) The types of incentives that may be provided, including but not limited to:
(A) Loan repayment subsidies;
(B) Stipends;
(C) Medical malpractice insurance premium subsidies;
(D) Scholarships for students in health professional training programs at the Oregon Health and
Science University;
(E) Scholarships for students at institutions of higher education based in this state who are en-
rolled in health professional training programs leading to a doctor of osteopathic medicine or doctor
of dentistry or a license as a nurse practitioner, physician associate or certified registered nurse
anesthetist, if:
(i) The scholarship funds are distributed equitably among schools offering the training programs,
based on the percentage of Oregon students attending those schools; and
(ii) The maximum scholarship for each student does not exceed the highest resident tuition rate
at the publicly funded health professional training programs in this state; and
(F) Paying the moving expenses of providers not located in rural or medically underserved areas
who commit to relocate to such areas;
(d) If the funds allocated to the program from the Health Care Provider Incentive Fund estab-
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1525
SB 376
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
lished under ORS 676.450 are insufficient to provide assistance to all of the applicants who are eli-
gible to participate in the program, the priority for the distribution of funds; and
(e) The financial penalties imposed on an individual who fails to comply with terms and condi-
tions of participation.
(2) Eligibility requirements adopted for the program:
(a) Must allow providers to qualify for multiple health care provider incentives, to the extent
permitted by federal law.
(b) Must allow providers to qualify for an incentive for multiyear periods.
(c) Must give preference to applicants willing to:
(A) Commit to extended periods of service in rural or medically underserved areas; or
(B) Serve patients enrolled in Medicare and the state medical assistance program in at least the
same proportion to the provider’s total number of patients as the Medicare and medical assistance
patient populations represent in relation to the total number of persons determined by the Office
of Rural Health to be in need of health care in the area served by the practice.
(3) The authority may use funds allocated to the program from the Health Care Provider In-
centive Fund to administer or provide funding to a locum tenens program for health care providers
practicing in rural areas of this state.
(4) The authority may enter into contracts with one or more public or private entities to ad-
minister the health care provider incentive program or parts of the program.
(5) The authority shall decide no later than September 1 of each academic year the distribution
of funds for scholarships that will be provided in the next academic year.
(6) The authority may receive gifts, grants or contributions from any source, whether public or
private, to carry out the provisions of this section. Moneys received under this subsection shall be
deposited in the Health Care Provider Incentive Fund established under ORS 676.450.
(7) As used in this section, “rural” means a geographical region with a population of not
more than 1.25 percent of the total population of this state.
[2]