Oregon Association of Hospital and Health Systems v. Oregon

In an amicus brief submitted on January 28, 2025 to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Compassion & Choices (C&C) led a coalition of nonprofits and labor unions in defending the constitutionality of Oregon’s Health Care Market Oversight Program (HCMO). HCMO is a program designed to regulate large-scale healthcare system transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions. The brief argued that upholding HCMO is in the public interest because it promotes and preserves a wide range of critical healthcare interests, including:

  • Oregonians’ ability to access healthcare, particularly rural, end-of-life, gender-affirming, and reproductive healthcare.
  • The quality of healthcare available to Oregonians.
  • The affordability of healthcare services in Oregon.
  • The advancement of health equity across the state.

Compassion & Choices emphasized its concern about the potential impact on access to end-of-life care if the program is overturned. HCMO has already successfully conditioned multiple mergers and acquisitions on maintaining the availability of end-of-life care. Eliminating this program will significantly undermine access to such care.

Compassion & Choices is committed to ensuring patients have access to quality care and the full range of options at the end-of-life. To learn more about our legal advocacy work, please visit our Legal Advocacy webpage.

*Amicus curiae is Latin for “friend of the court.” Amicus briefs are commonly submitted by anyone wanting to make a point relating to a court case that the litigating parties are not addressing.

General Mailing Address:
Compassion & Choices
8156 S Wadsworth Blvd #E-162
Littleton, CO 80128

Mail contributions directly to:
Compassion & Choices Gift Processing Center
PO Box 485
Etna, NH 03750

candid seal platinum 2024
great nonprofits 2024 top rated badge