Oregon Public Broadcasting

For about two years now, thousands of Oregonians have been entering a lottery -- for healthcare. The latest round of names will be drawn today. OPB's Sam Sanders reports.

Robin Jensen runs a small business out of her home in Southwest Portland -- a salon called "Robin's Place".

Jensen, a single mother, can't afford healthcare.

Robin Jensen: "After I pay all the bills, I don't have any money left to pay for insurance. All of the utilities and house payments, and products, and everything else. It's way too expensive."

She, and thousands of other Oregonians, qualify for entry into what many call Oregon's “healthcare lottery”. Jensen has tried to get coverage this way five times before, without luck.

Federal healthcare reform will eventually guarantee these people affordable coverage. But she and countless others are in limbo until then.

Under the Oregon healthcare system, adults who can't afford healthcare on their own have a shot at getting coverage. To qualify, they have to live at or beneath the federal poverty level. If they're selected randomly from this list, they can then apply for Oregon's version of Medicaid, the Oregon Health Plan.

Judy Mohr Peterson is Deputy Director of Medical Assistance Programs for Oregon

Judy Mohr Peterson: "We know there's a lot morre need for healthcare in the state than what we can provide. In order to provide every body an equal opportunity for care, we've maintained an open reservation list and then we draw names from that list randomly. Right now we're doing it on a monthly basis."

About 140,000 Oregonians qualify for this so-called lottery. Of that number, about 25,000 have already gotten healthcare.

Peterson says even though names are drawn through the lottery every month now, no one thinks Oregon will ever be able to cover all poor adults who qualify. That’s until federal health care reform kicks in.

Judy Mohr Peterson: "Once federal reform comes in place, then anybody who has income below 133% of the federal poverty level becomes, can qualify for medicaid or what we call for the oregon health plan here in Oregon. At that point the reservation list would go away January 1st, of 2014."That date caught Jensen off guard.

Robin Jensen: "That's a long, long time. I was hoping or sooner than that."

Some don't think expanding state and federal health care is a solution:Jeff Kruse: "Well, Medicare and Medicaid are both broke."

That's state senator Jeff Kruse. He's vice-chair of the Oregon Senate's healthcare committee. He says the programs are unsustainable and inefficient.

Kruse thinks tort reform and fewer restrictive mandates on health insurers would make private coverage more affordable. But even he admits that for people like Jensen, there aren't many choices:

Jeff Kruse: "In the current environment, that is the best option they have."

Jensen is just grateful for the opportunity to put her name in the drawing:

Robin Jensen: "It's kinda dissapointing for the ones that don't, but at least I know some people are getting through, and something's being done for somebody. And that there's a chance."

She'll hear in the next few weeks if she has a chance at getting coverage this time.