Healthier Oregon Provides Free Health Coverage for More People
One Community Health is helping newly eligible Oregonians enroll in and navigate Oregon Health Plan benefits
Hood River, OR, August 25, 2022 – One Community Health’s (OCH) Patient Care Advocate (PCA) team is working hard to ensure all eligible community members are enrolled in newly available free health care coverage, a program called “Healthier Oregon”. As of July 1, 2022, adults ages 19-25 and 55 and older are now eligible for full Oregon Health Plan (OHP) benefits regardless of their immigration status. OHP is free health coverage for people who live in Oregon and meet income and other criteria, and covers health care services like medical, behavioral health, dental, prescriptions, tests, x-rays, hospital care, and rides to appointments. The expansion in benefits is expected to help thousands of Oregonians who previously had only been able to access emergency care. In 2021, the Oregon legislature passed Oregon House Bill (HB) 3352, which mandated affordable and accessible health care to all residents of the state and expanded Medicaid eligibility coverage.
“We are so excited that many of our community members can now access good quality, free health care,” says German Mondragon, Outreach Manager at One Community Health. “We want to make sure that everyone who is eligible knows that they can sign up, and that we’re here to help.” German’s team can help any community member enroll in Medicaid coverage and understand their benefits, not just OCH patients. Oregon Health Plan benefits do not affect immigration status, as OHP is not considered public charge.
Those who have only had emergency Medicaid, also known as Citizenship Waived Medical (CWM), have been automatically enrolled in full Oregon Health Plan benefits. “Through talking to community members, we know that not everyone is aware that they now have full Oregon Health Plan benefits and have a lot more access to health care,” says Mondragon. “Our team is available to help anyone in the community understand their new benefits.” If a community member still does not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan due to income or other criteria, he recommends that they reevaluate their situation frequently. “Income qualification for the Oregon Health Plan can be evaluated on a monthly basis, because we all know that your financial situation can change quickly. If you find that your circumstances have changed, we recommend talking with us because you may now qualify for free health coverage.” One Community Health also offers a sliding scale discount program for OCH patients who cannot qualify for Oregon or Washington Medicaid.
Gorge community members who would like assistance navigating their health insurance options, including the Oregon Health Plan and Washington Medicaid plans, can schedule an appointment with One Community Health’s Patient Care Advocate team either online at onecommunityhealth.org/medicaid or by calling 541.386.6380.