Oregonians Continue To Have At Least Five Health Insurance Companies To Choose From In Every Oregon County As Companies File 2026 Health Insurance Rate Requests For Individual And Small Group Markets (Photo) -06/02/25

Salem – Oregon health insurers have submitted proposed 2026 rates for individual and small group plans, launching a months-long review process that includes public input and meetings.  

 

Five insurers will again offer plans statewide (Moda, Bridgespan, PacificSource, Providence, and Regence), and Kaiser is offering insurance in 11 counties, giving six options to choose from in various areas around the state.

 

In the individual market, six companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average increase of 3.9 percent (PacificSource) to 12.9 percent (Kaiser), for a weighted average increase of 9.7 percent. That average increase is slightly higher than last year’s requested weighted average increase of 9.3 percent.

 

In the small group market, eight companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average increase of 5.1 percent (PacificSource) to 21.5 percent (Providence), for a weighted average increase of 11.5 percent, which is lower than last year’s 12.3 percent requested average increase.

 

The Oregon Reinsurance Program continues to help stabilize the market and lower rates. Reinsurance lowered rates by at least 6 percent for the eighth straight year. In fact, this year the reinsurance program resulted in a 9.2 percent average lower premium.

 

The rate filings also reference uncertainty and other changes for some insurers. For example, two insurers – UnitedHealthcare Inc. and UnitedHealthcare of Oregon – include a 2.7 percent impact due to prescription drug tariffs. Also, Regence filed a separate request to consider up to an additional $25 per member per month increase as part of its rate filing based on possible Oregon legislative changes. That request, which is subject to the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation’s (DFR) approval, is not included in the attached chart of rate change requests.

 

DFR, which approves all rate request changes, will also inquire further with insurers throughout the process about ongoing uncertainty at the federal level, including further tariffing of prescription drugs and medical equipment, key changes in laws and subsidies, and additional cost drivers that may be felt by consumers.

 

See the attached chart for the full list of rate change requests.

 

“Oregon’s insurance market continues to grow with Kaiser adding even more counties than last year and all other counties still having five carriers offering plans,” said Oregon Insurance Commissioner and Department of Consumer and Business Services Director Andrew R. Stolfi. “The economy, uncertainty caused by federal actions, and increased spending in some areas are driving prices higher than last year. Oregonians still have a lot of options to choose from and the Oregon Reinsurance Program continues to allow Oregonians to find reasonable rates.”

 

Virtual public meetings about the 2026 requested health insurance rates will be held Friday, June 20, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and Friday, July 18, from noon to 3 p.m. A web address to watch the public meetings will be posted at oregonhealthrates.org. At the meetings, each insurance company will provide a brief presentation about its rate increase requests, answer questions from DFR employees, and hear public comment from Oregonians. The public also can comment on the proposed rates through June 20 at oregonhealthrates.org.

 

“We look forward to a thorough and transparent process putting these rate requests through a rigorous public review, and we encourage the public to join the virtual public meetings and provide feedback on their health insurance plans,” Stolfi said. “This public process not only helps keep insurance companies accountable, but it gives Oregonians the opportunity be part of the process.”

 

The requested rates are for plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act for small businesses and individuals who buy their own coverage rather than getting it through an employer.

 

Over the next two months, DFR will analyze the requested rates to ensure they adequately cover Oregonians’ health care costs. DFR must review and approve rates before they are charged to policyholders.

 

In addition to reviewing the rate filings to determine if the rate changes are justified, DFR continues to monitor the ongoing federal policy and financing uncertainties to evaluate their effect on consumers. For example, expanded advance premium tax credits, which help subsidize premiums for some consumers and were part of COVID funding packages, expire at the end of 2025. While the expiration of these credits do not affect the rates under review, these changes would result in higher consumer costs. DFR will continue to keep consumers informed about these impacts during the rate review process.

 

Preliminary decisions are expected to be announced in July, and final decisions will be made in August after the public meetings and comment period ends.

 

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About DCBS: The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to www.dcbs.oregon.gov.

 

About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit www.dcbs.oregon.gov and dfr.oregon.gov.

 

Oregon OSHA Fines Hillsboro Company $80,804 For Repeatedly Violating Excavation Safety Rules (Photo) -05/28/25

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has fined Hillsboro-based Renner Trucking and Excavating Inc. $80,804 for repeatedly violating rules that protect workers from trenches caving in on them.

 

A cave-in can trap and kill within seconds.

 

Oregon OSHA issued a citation to the company on May 12 following an inspection that found two employees working in a trench with no protective system in place. The trench – about 3 feet wide by 12 feet long and more than 5 feet deep – was part of work to build a home in Beaverton.

  

The division conducted the inspection under a prevention-based emphasis program that focuses enforcement resources on trenching and excavation hazards, which are extremely dangerous to workers.

 

“Any employer preparing to do this type of work must take the well-known dangers seriously by following safety requirements designed to protect workers,” said Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. “Workers have a right to hazard-free jobsites. Employers must make that right a reality.”

 

Altogether, Oregon OSHA cited Renner Trucking and Excavating Inc. for three violations of the Oregon Safe Employment Act. Those violations were:

 

• Failure to provide a sufficient protective system to protect employees from a trench collapse. It was a first-repeat violation. Penalty: $39,696. 
• Failure to ensure a competent person was available to identify and address existing and predictable trench hazards. It was a first-repeat violation. Penalty: $39,696.  
• Failure to provide adequate protection for employees from loose rock or soil potentially falling from the face of the trench onto their heads. It was a serious violation. Penalty: $1,412.

The total penalty issued to the company included a standard reduction based on the size of the company. Employers have 30 calendar days after receiving a citation to file an appeal.

 

Oregon OSHA offers free resources – involving no fault, no citations, and no penalties – to help employers address a broad range of workplace safety and health concerns, including trench and excavation hazards. They include a guide to safe excavation practices and a fact sheet about competent person duties.

 

Moreover, the division offers the following nonenforcement resources:

 

Consultation services – Provides free help with safety and health programs, including how to control and eliminate hazards, and hands-on training

• Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
• Field offices
• Online
• Email: consult.web@dcbs.oregon.gov

Technical staff – Helps employers understand requirements and how to apply them to their worksites

• Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
• Online
• Email: tech.web@dcbs.oregon.gov

 

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About Oregon OSHA: Oregon OSHA enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit osha.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

Wood Village Company Earns Workplace Safety, Health Recognition With Oregon OSHA Program (Photo) -05/20/25

Advanced Precision Anodizing is committed to the safety and health of its employees, so much so that the Wood Village company has completed its first year in Oregon OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).

 

SHARP, primarily set up to help small- and mid-sized employers, coaches employers on how to effectively manage workplace safety and health. The program encourages Oregon employers to work with their employees to identify and correct hazards and to continuously improve. In turn, companies are recognized for their success in reaching specific benchmarks during the five-year program. An employer may graduate from SHARP after five years of participation.

 

Advanced Precision Anodizing is a family-owned business that provides protective and decorative finishing services, including anodize, chromate, passivate, bead blast, graining, and laser marking. With guidance from Oregon OSHA consultants, the company has achieved first-year SHARP status, a reflection of its dedication to going beyond minimum safety and health requirements, involving its employees in safety and health decisions, and building a culture of safety and health – among other improvements.

 

Advanced Precision Anodizing joined SHARP with a focus on growing its safety and health program and with a history of improvement: The company experienced zero injuries from 2022 to 2024. The company celebrated its first-year SHARP award in April.

 

“Our company is excited to be part of the SHARP program,” said Adriana Baehr, environmental chemist and environment, health, and safety manager for Advanced Precision Anodizing. “Keeping our employees safe is our top priority. When employees know they will go home safe to their families at the end of every work shift, we become more successful overall. It is good for employees, and it is good for management.”

 

The benefits of the SHARP program, which is part of Oregon OSHA’s free consultation services, include lower injury and illness rates, decreased workers’ compensation costs, increased employee morale, lower product losses, and community recognition.

 

Learn more about SHARP and Oregon OSHA’s free consultation services, which include hazard assessments, recommendations to control and eliminate hazards, written program evaluations, and hands-on training. Consultations involve no fault, no citations, and no penalties. Oregon OSHA consultants in workplace safety, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics can help employers reduce accidents and related costs and develop comprehensive programs to manage safety and health.

 

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About Oregon OSHA: Oregon OSHA enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit osha.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

 

 

 

Sean O’Day Selected As Acting Director Of Oregon Department Of Consumer And Business Services; TK Keen Will Assume Role As Acting Insurance Commissioner (Photo) -05/15/25

Salem – Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has selected Sean O’Day as acting director of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS).

 

O’Day is currently the deputy director for DCBS, the state’s largest consumer and worker protection and business regulatory agency. He will replace Andrew R. Stolfi, who was recently confirmed by the Oregon State Senate to be the director of the Oregon Employment Department.

 

Stolfi is presently serving as both the DCBS director and the Oregon insurance commissioner. TK Keen, the deputy insurance commissioner and administrator of DCBS’ Division of Financial Regulation, will take on the duties as acting insurance commissioner.

 

“Sean and TK are both true public servants with decades of experience leading teams and their knowledge of the people and issues that make up DCBS will be invaluable during this time of transition,” Stolfi said. “They have also demonstrated time and again their commitment to consumer and worker protection, which is at the core of our mission. Oregonians are in great hands moving forward in this interim period.”

 

O’Day has been the DCBS deputy director since March 2023. He previously served as the deputy director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He has more than two decades of public service in Oregon and has worked at a variety of government entities providing regulatory and business services. Before he joined Veterans’ Affairs in 2020, Sean served as the executive director of Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments, general counsel for the League of Oregon Cities, deputy city attorney and deputy city manager for Salem, deputy legal counsel to the Office of the Governor, and law clerk to the chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.

 

O’Day also serves as a reserve judge advocate in the United States Army Reserve. He is the commander of the 6th Legal Operations Detachment (LOD), a unit comprised of highly trained legal professionals who provide on-demand legal services and operational support across the globe. A combat veteran, he has served two tours of duty in the Middle East and also participated in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

 

He received his law degree from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, and his bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University. He also has a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

 

“I am honored to serve as the acting DCBS director,” O’Day said. “Oregon has long been a leader in worker and consumer protection, and I am excited to continue working with our talented employees and agency partners in service to the people of Oregon.”

 

Keen started as administrator of the Division of Financial Regulation in August 2020 and has been the deputy insurance commissioner since 2014. He previously served in the division as deputy administrator (December 2014 to August 2020) and senior policy advisor (October 2012 to December 2014). 

 

Keen has led several National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ working groups on topics such as pharmacy benefit manager regulation and consumer protection on mandatory arbitration clauses. He has also led national groups that focused on consumer protections for financial product offerings. 

 

Before joining the division, he practiced law as a sole practitioner in Washington, focusing on employment law cases. During law school at Lewis & Clark College, he worked for the Oregon Department of Justice, the Hon. Elizabeth L. Perris of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and the Portland State University Office of General Counsel.

 

"It is an honor to serve as acting insurance commissioner. I look forward to continuing the approach of protecting consumers, dealing with the complex issues around wildfires and insurance, and ensuring we have stable and healthy insurance markets statewide,” Keen said. “Also, we will continue to be leaders on innovation, transparency, and responsive regulation." 

 

O’Day and Keen will start in their roles June 23.

 

The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is preparing to conduct an open recruitment for the next director of DCBS this summer. At the close of the recruitment process, Gov. Kotek will nominate the DCBS director, who is subject to state Senate confirmation. The Oregon insurance commissioner falls under DCBS and is appointed by the DCBS director.

 

DCBS and the insurance commissioner play an important role in the state’s regulatory landscape and are responsible for overseeing the insurance industry and protecting consumers.

 

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About Oregon DCBS: The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. The department administers state laws and rules to protect consumers and workers in the areas of workers’ compensation, occupational safety and health, financial services, insurance, and building codes. Visit dcbs.oregon.gov.