Oregon Right to Private Health Care Initiative (2012)

Not on Ballot
This measure did not or will not appear on a ballot

A Oregon Right to Private Health Care Initiative did not make the November 6, 2012 statewide ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment. The measure would have proposed limiting the regulation of private healthcare service purchases.

Text of measure

The official ballot title was:

Amends Constitution: Limits regulation of private healthcare service purchases; bars laws restraining, penalizing or taxing such purchases.

Result of "Yes" Vote: "Yes" vote amends constitution; limits government regulation of right to purchase private healthcare services; bars restraint, penalization, taxation of purchases; interaction with federal law unclear.

Result of "No" Vote: "No" vote retains current law; individuals may purchase medical services, insurance with private funds, subject to government's regulation, taxation, fees and excises for such services.

Summary: Amends constitution. Under current law, individuals may purchase healthcare services with private funds and state may regulate healthcare services. Measure bars state from using public resources or enacting laws to restrain, prevent, penalize or specially tax the "right to purchase private healthcare services," defined as "the authority to engage in voluntary transactions for confidential access to medical services, medicines or medical devices; and agreements providing access, insurance, or price caps for private healthcare services," and limits government access to personal medical information. Measure requires state to defend against "federal encroachment" (undefined), but interaction with federal law is uncertain. Measure may invalidate existing regulation of purchase of private healthcare services. measure may affect state's ability to fund programs providing healthcare services to some Oregonians. Other provisions.

Path to the ballot

See also: Oregon signature requirements

In order to qualify for the ballot, supporters were required to collect a minimum of 116,283 valid signatures by July 6, 2012.

See also

• Oregon 2012 ballot measures
• 2012 ballot measures

External links

• Initiative 7 (status)
• Filed text
• Certified ballot text