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@OHAOregon
July 24, 2024
Media contacts:
Erica Heartquist, Oregon Health Authority, Erica.J.Heartquist@oha.oregon.gov, 503-871-8843
Jake Sunderland, Oregon Department of Human Services, Jake.Sunderland@odhs.oregon.gov, 503-877-0170
SALEM, Ore. —Oregon has the highest rate in the nation for Medicaid renewals since the lifting of the COVID-related continuous enrollment requirement in March 2023, according to a Georgetown study.
With 92 percent of the state’s nearly 1.5 million renewals complete, more than four out of five Oregonians are keeping their Oregon Health Plan (OHP) or other Medicaid benefits.
(Source: Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy study published July 14, 2024)
OHP Bridge
OHP Bridge, a new category of OHP with higher income limits, launched July 1. Since the unwinding of the pandemic emergency began, people likely to be eligible for OHP Bridge kept their OHP. To date, 22,784 people have moved to OHP Bridge.
Sequencing
Oregon intentionally scheduled renewals for people who were more likely to keep benefits and needed minimal support to complete the process upfront. State employees put certain renewals such as likely OHP Bridge members later in the schedule and spread more complex renewals throughout the process to ensure support was consistently available.
Longer timelines
Oregon gave people longer to respond before closing benefits than any other state in the nation. In Oregon, people have up to 90 days to respond and 60 days’ advance notice of any closure. People who did not respond can also reopen their case up to 90 days after closing.
Outreach
Oregon has a robust network of community partners across the state, and tools like earned media and paid advertising were used to spread awareness of the renewal process.
Maximizing automated renewals
When members’ eligibility information can be verified using federal data matching sources without needing the member to respond, they can be automatically renewed. This minimizes the chances for closures due to nonresponse, reduces the paperwork burden on members and preserves staff capacity to help the remaining people. To date, Oregon’s monthly news release on renewals has used KFF data, which continues to show Oregon in third place. The Georgetown ranking shows Oregon among the top states reducing paperwork via the automated renewal process.
Rules protecting coverage between renewals
Oregon is unique in giving most adults a two-year continuous eligibility period where they will keep their medical benefits until their next renewal, even if something like income changes would no longer qualify them for benefits. Oregon also offers young children benefits until their sixth birthday. These rules do not directly affect renewal rate but prevent “churn” on and off benefits between renewals.
As of July 19, 1,347,208 people have completed the renewal process. This represents around 92.7 percent of all OHP and Medicaid members.
Although most people are keeping coverage during the post-pandemic medical renewals, approximately 232,000 people have or will need to consider other coverage options due to lost or reduced benefits.
If you need to sign up for Medicare for the first time, contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) at 800-772-1213 to enroll by phone or find a local office. You can also enroll in Medicare online at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up.
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) are committed to transparency and will continue to send monthly information about medical coverage among Oregonians. Check our ONE Eligibility Operations Dashboards for more frequent updates on medical renewal data and wait times for callers to the ONE Customer Service Center.
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