42% of insured residents can't afford their deductibles—and it's costing the region $185 million annually

You've got insurance. You pay $640 monthly. There's a card in your wallet. By every official measure, you're covered.

Then your kid needs an asthma inhaler. $180 for the visit, $85/month for medication. But you've got a $7,500 deductible you haven't touched. That's $900 out of pocket—groceries, car payment, rent. So you wait. You delay. You hope it gets better.

This is underinsurance. And in Southern Oregon, 42% of commercially insured residents—13,500 households, 24,000 people—are living it.

The affordability cliff destroying incentives: Family earning $57,720 qualifies for Oregon Health Plan—comprehensive coverage, minimal costs. They get a $3,780 raise to $61,500. They lose OHP. Now ...