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US postal workers help out with the nation's largest one-day food drive. A union coalition in California advocates for worker rights amidst climate challenges. Livestock waste is polluting 'Pure Michigan' state image. And Virginia farm workers receive updated heat protection guidelines.

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Republicans seek to prevent nearly nonexistent illegal noncitizens voting, Speaker Johnson survives a motion to remove him, and a Georgia appeals court will reconsider if Fulton County DA Willis is to be bumped from a Trump case.

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Some small towns in North Dakota worry they'll go to pot if marijuana is legalized, school vouchers are becoming a litmus test for Republicans, and Bennington, Vermont implements an innovative substance abuse recovery program.

Report: Health Insurance No Guarantee of Affordable Care in OR

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Wednesday, December 26, 2007   

Portland, OR – The health care cost crisis isn't only for the uninsured. According to a new report from Families USA, having health insurance is no guarantee that health care will be affordable. The study shows more than 850,000 Oregonians are in families that will spend more than ten percent of their income on medical costs in the coming year, and 85 percent of them have health insurance.

Maribeth Healey with the advocacy group Oregonians for Health Security says it's a problem that impacts just about everyone.

"It used to be that the discussion was just about the uninsured and low-income folks, and this really shows that the health care crisis is affecting working families and businesses."

Healey points out that, to be considered "affordable," a family should spend no more than four percent of its income on health care. She says many are simply no longer able to do that.

"As the escalating costs of health care affects employers more and more, they are not only cutting dependent coverage, but shifting more of the cost of both premiums and out-of-pocket costs directly to workers. That's where Oregon families are really struggling."

Healey adds about 207,000 Oregonians with insurance will spend more than 25 percent of their income on health care in the comng year. To solve the problem, she says everyone should have access to affordable, quality health care.

The full report is available online, at www.familiesusa.org.




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