Summer 2019

Moda Health has deep roots supporting educators and all public employees

Before the 1950’s there was no such thing as dental insurance. Medical insurance had been around in various forms for over 100 years, but people only went to the dentist when they had a severe toothache, and then they had to pay out-of-pocket.

That was unacceptable to ILWU members working in Oregon’s shipping industry. They wanted dental coverage for their children, so in 1955, they asked the Oregon Dental Association to start the first ever dental benefit plan in the state.

That’s how Oregon Dental Service (ODS) was born. We added medical coverage, and later changed our company’s name to Moda Health, but our commitment to public employees remains the same.

Here are some of the highlights of our partnership supporting public employee values:

• 1955 Oregon Dental Service (ODS) is formed at the request of Oregon's International Longshore & Warehouse workers local (ILWU-PMA )
• 1985 ODS adds medical coverage to form ODS Health Plan
• 1997 OEA Choice Trust is created to provide medical and dental benefits for the Oregon Educators Association (OEA).
• 2008 ODS partners with the Oregon Educators Benefit Board (OEBB) to provide medical and dental benefits to educators across the state
• 2010 ODS sides with educators and public employees to support Ballot Measures 66 & 67, preventing millions of dollars in budget cuts to education, public safety and health care
• 2013 ODS changes its name to Moda Health
• 2015 Moda Health partners with the Public Employees Benefit Board (PEBB) to provide medical and dental benefit to public employees throughout Oregon
• 2015 Moda Health, along with Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc. (GOBHI) and other community partners, form Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (EOCCO) to serve Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) members in eastern Oregon.
• 2019 Moda continues to provide high-quality, affordable benefits to OEBB and PEBB members
• 2019 Moda Health contracts with OHSU and HealthShare of Oregon to begin providing benefits to Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) members in the Portland area.

You work hard to support the people of Oregon, and you deserve a health plan that does the same. That’s why we will continue to support the values of educators and all public employees.