# Oregon Executive Order 26-27: Protecting Healthcare Access [State law tracker](/state-laws/) Oregon's governor ordered state agencies to act to hold down health care costs and keep Oregonians insured as federal Medicaid changes and the end of enhanced federal subsidies take effect January 1, 2027. The order directs the Division of Financial Regulation to have the state reinsurance program reviewed by a third party and report improvement options by March 2027, directs the Oregon Health Authority and DFR to enforce the requirement that at least 12 percent of insurer spending goes to primary care, requires reviews of timely provider payment and of more cost-effective state purchasing of high-cost prescription drugs (with findings due by March 2027), calls for less administrative burden on primary care clinics and a simpler Medicaid pharmacy benefit, and requires quarterly reports on people who lose or are denied coverage because of the federal changes, with the data to be included decided within 30 days. It took effect immediately. (The text below is the Governor's official press release announcing the order; the order's full text had not yet been posted publicly as of October 15, 2026.) StateOregon TypeExecutive order NumberEO 26-27 DatedOctober 13, 2026 Official source[Official text](https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/GOV/Posts/Post/governor-kotek-issues-executive-order-to-protect-healthcare-access) ## Listen *Audio narration is being produced and will appear here soon.* ## Full text The complete text of EO 26-27 (Oregon), reproduced from the official source. Government edicts are in the public domain. [Note: the full text of the executive order had not yet been posted publicly by the Governor's office as of October 15, 2026. The text below is the full text of the Governor's official press release announcing the order, reproduced verbatim. The release was issued October 13, 2026.] Governor Kotek Issues Executive Order to Protect Healthcare Access Executive action furthers state's work to lower healthcare costs, keep Oregonians insured, and provide predictability for providers Salem, OR - Today, Governor Tina Kotek released Executive Order (EO) 26-27, directing state agencies to take immediate action to protect access to affordable, high-quality healthcare in Oregon. Thanks to years of state-driven efforts to expand and maintain access to care, approximately 97% of Oregonians currently have health insurance, and today's executive order looks to protect this amid significant federal changes. The federal government is forcing substantial changes to the U.S. healthcare system through President Trump's House Resolution 1, including significant cuts to Medicaid and the failure to extend enhanced federal healthcare subsidies. These actions will make it harder for eligible Oregonians to obtain and afford coverage, while placing additional financial and administrative pressure on states, providers, and families beginning January 1, 2027. "Cruel, out-of-touch decisions by President Trump and Congressional Republicans are impacting Oregon's ability to make sure people get the healthcare they need," Governor Kotek said. "That's why my executive order today focuses on the strategies we as a state can act on right now to reduce healthcare costs, keep Oregonians insured, and create more certainty and stability for healthcare providers in every corner of the state." Governor Kotek has already taken action to reduce insurer rate increases and preserve consumer choice through the Oregon Reinsurance Program and other regulatory actions, which have lowered rates in the individual market by 6% to 8% annually. Additional intervention from the Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) reduced average rate increases by 10.7% for the 2027 plan year. Executive Order 26-27 directs the following actions: - Identifying options to further lower costs and stabilize the individual and small group insurance markets. - Ensuring primary care and prevention are an actualized strategy to improve health and reduce avoidable costs. - Enforcing timely pay provisions so providers can get paid, maintain predictability, and continue offering services. - Maximizing patient-provider time and reducing administrative burden for primary care clinics. - Optimizing state-purchasing of high-cost prescription drugs to lower healthcare costs for all Oregonians. - Simplifying the Medicaid pharmacy benefit to reduce costs and administrative complexity. - Tracking coverage losses among Oregonians eligible for healthcare but impacted by federal policies. "Primary care clinicians are the backbone of our health care system," said Dr. Eric Wiser, President of Oregon Academy for Family Physicians (OAFP). "Engaging with primary care early and often can improve health, manage chronic disease, and reduce overall system costs by avoiding unnecessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations. The value of team-based care delivered through the Patient Centered Primary Care Health model is grounded in evidence, and Oregon is lucky that we already have this foundation. Today's EO will protect primary care access and sustainability, which will be a critical strategy to mitigate harmful HR 1 cuts." "Today's EO is great news," said Oregon Medical Association President, Reva Ricketts-Loriaux, DO. "Chasing payments and competing program requirements add administrative burden that burns clinic resources and minimizes time spent between clinicians and patients. This EO takes important steps to reduce the administrative burden that drives patients away from care and clinicians out of practice." The full text of the EO can be found here. ## More tracked laws and orders - [**New York A.1962-B: Francesco's Law (Safe Storage of Rifles, Shotguns, and Firearms)**New York - October 21, 2026](/state-laws/new-york-francescos-law-safe-storage/) - [**New York S.7236: Ammunition Background Check Denials for Prohibited Purchasers**New York - October 21, 2026](/state-laws/new-york-ammunition-background-checks/) - [**West Virginia Executive Order 2-26: Emergency Dyed-Diesel Fuel Relief**West Virginia - October 20, 2026](/state-laws/west-virginia-eo-2-26-dyed-diesel-emergency/) - [**Nebraska Executive Order 26-25: Emergency Relief Due to Motor Fuel Supply Shortages**Nebraska - October 19, 2026](/state-laws/nebraska-fuel-supply-emergency-relief/) - [**New York A.6790-A / S.6233-A: Volunteer Firefighter and Ambulance Worker Tax Credit**New York - October 17, 2026](/state-laws/new-york-volunteer-firefighter-tax-credit/) - [**Nebraska Executive Order 26-24: Statewide Public Safety Communications Task Force**Nebraska - October 15, 2026](/state-laws/nebraska-executive-order-26-24-public-safety-communications/) Browse the [full state law tracker](/state-laws/) or the [government reports library](/books/government-reports). ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Oregon Executive Order 26-27: Protecting Healthcare Access do? Oregon's governor ordered state agencies to act to hold down health care costs and keep Oregonians insured as federal Medicaid changes and the end of enhanced federal subsidies take effect January 1, 2027. The order directs the Division of Financial Regulation to have the state reinsurance program reviewed by a third party and report improvement options by March 2027, directs the Oregon Health Authority and DFR to enforce the requirement that at least 12 percent of insurer spending goes to primary care, requires reviews of timely provider payment and of more cost-effective state purchasing of high-cost prescription drugs (with findings due by March 2027), calls for less administrative burden on primary care clinics and a simpler Medicaid pharmacy benefit, and requires quarterly reports on people who lose or are denied coverage because of the federal changes, with the data to be included decided within 30 days. It took effect immediately. (The text below is the Governor's official press release announcing the order; the order's full text had not yet been posted publicly as of October 15, 2026.) The full text is reproduced below so you can read exactly what it says. ### When was EO 26-27 issued, and when does it take effect? It is dated October 13, 2026. Check the full text below for the exact effective-date language, since different sections can take effect on different dates. ### Where can I read the official text? The official source is linked on this page (https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/GOV/Posts/Post/governor-kotek-issues-executive-order-to-protect-healthcare-access). The full text is also reproduced below for easy reading and searching. ### Is there an audio version? Not yet. Audio narration is being produced and will appear on this page soon.