Call to Action:

Email the OR House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee to Support HB 4130 before Monday, February 19th, 3:00pm PDT/12:00 EST

Why This Matters:

Corporations like United Health, Private Equity Firms, and Big Tech rely on a sham ownership structure to evade state laws prohibiting the Corporate Practice of Medicine - ie. lay-corporations practicing medicine without a license. This is the first state legislation introduced to close this loophole. Industry is coming out en-force because this legislation threatens their hold over physicians and their profiteering off of patients and physician labor. State legislation like could have a cascading effect to upend the grip corporations have over physicians.

To:

House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee

rep.robnosse@oregonlegislature.gov

rep.travisnelson@oregonlegislature.gov

rep.christinegoodwin@oregonlegislature.gov

rep.charlieconrad@oregonlegislature.gov

​rep.eddiehl@oregonlegislature.gov​

rep.cyrusjavadi@oregonlegislature.gov

rep.dwayneyunker@oregonlegislature.gov

rep.maxinedexter@oregonlegislature.gov

rep.haipham@oregonlegislature.gov

rep.thuytran@oregonlegislature.gov

rep.benbowman@oregonlegislature.gov

(please also send to your representative if you can)
​

Subject: Please Support HB 4130
​

Dear Members of the Behavioral Health and Healthcare Committee,

I am writing to ask you to support House Bill 4130 to strengthen Oregon’s corporate practice of medicine laws.

Oregon has become part of an accelerating national trend in private equity ownership of medical clinics across this country. The research is clear that the corporatization of medical practices leads to worse patient outcomes, higher costs, and less physician independence.

Corporate practice of medicine (CPOM) laws have existed for decades in most states, from California to Texas to New York, prohibiting medical practices from being owned by anyone other than a licensed physician or medical professional. These laws are based on the understanding that there is an intrinsic conflict between a physician’s professional obligations of care to their patients and the profit-oriented obligations of corporations to maximize returns to their shareholders.

HB 4130 closes loopholes in Oregon’s CPOM doctrine, blocking corporations or private equity investors from owning or indirectly controlling medical practices and the decisions of healthcare providers. HB 4130 also limits corporate owners from enforcing non-compete/non-disclosure agreements and non-disparagement clauses for specific providers. These are increasingly common practices that leave doctors handcuffed and unable to speak out about harmful conditions or start their own independent practice. These practices have already forced some doctors to move out of Oregon.

The corporatization of healthcare is well underway and without moving this bill forward, you will be deciding by not deciding. We know that local physicians are better suited to control the practice of medicine than out-of-state equity investors. This bill is urgently needed to protect patients, physicians, and all Oregonians.

I urge your support of HB4130.

[Your Name, MD/DO]

More to Come:

The 2024 Take Medicine Back Summit co-hosted with California American Academy of Emergency Medicine was an immense success.

Videos will be uploaded shortly, along with new calls to action, a new membership option for Take Medicine Back, and our updated website. Stay tuned!

​

About Take Medicine Back

Take Medicine Back, a Public Benefit LLC was founded in 2021 to raise awareness of the rapid corporatization of the profession of medicine, its harms to society, danger to patients, and moral injury caused to physicians and healthcare workers. Take Medicine Back is in the process of incorporating into a 501(c)3 non profit organization. We advocate for a return to the principles of the Corporate Practice of Medicine Doctrine and ethics to the profession of medicine.

​​​​​