To the Editor:

The article “Is Universal Coverage the American Way?” [July/August 2000] incorrectly stated that the Oregon Health Plan includes an employer mandate. When enacted in 1989, the Oregon Health Plan did include a mandate that required employers to provide coverage for a benefit package comparable to that offered by the state for those on the Oregon Health Plan. The coverage was to be required for all full-time workers (and their dependents) with incomes above the federal poverty level. However, the mandate was repealed prior to its implementation.

Oregon Gov. John A. Kitzhaber, MD, informed us in a recent letter that although the Oregon Health Plan has not achieved its objective of universal coverage, “We've reduced those without health insurance coverage in our general population from 17 percent to 11 percent, and we've reduced the number of children without coverage from 21 percent to 7 percent. In the upcoming legislative session we will again attempt to achieve our original objective of universal coverage.”

A credit line was inadvertently omitted from “Finding Success in a Capitated Environment” [July/August 2000]. The photos in the article were taken by A.A. Barnsley and reprinted with permission from the California Academy of Family Physicians. We regret the error.