Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Health Authority is holding a meeting in Portland Monday -- to gather public input on how to implement new federal health care laws.

The Oregon Health Authority was created by the 2009 state legislature -- in expectation of new federal health care laws.

The agency has been asked to bring the state's various health programs under one umbrella - to maximize purchasing power.

It's also been asked to create a central marketplace for health insurance -- so you, your employer and your disabled neighbor have somewhere to go to compare health insurance rates and quality.

Health Authority spokeswoman, Alissa Robins, has attended earlier meetings in Corvallis, Baker City and Florence.

Alissa Robins: "We've had great attendance at all three meetings so far. We've had a lot of lively and thoughtful discussion."

One of the key questions is whether to limit the number of plans in the exchange. 

The state estimates that in 2008 there were 57 insurance companies, each offering an average 10 options.

The thought is that reducing the number of options might make choosing a plan easier.

Federal law requires the exchange to start by 2014.