Last week, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) had an increase of 4,016 members, bringing the total number of members to 1,180,497. Since the March 8 emergency declaration, OHP’s enrollment has increased by more than 100,000 members or 9.3 percent.
About 1 in 4 of the additional members are new enrollments to OHP. The rest of the increase is due to a policy change that keeps the vast majority of members enrolled in the program during this national emergency. Since the end of March, people exiting the program decreased by around 75 percent from 20,000 people a month to about 5,000 a month. Adults eligible for OHP through the Affordable Care Act have made up about 60 percent of the program’s growth, and children covered by Medicaid account for about 25 percent of the growth.
Federal funding has increased to support states’ increases in the program. This 6.2 percent increase in federal Medicaid matching funds has covered and is projected to cover Oregon’s enrollment increases through the end of the year.
The Oregon Health Authority has made several changes to its Medicaid program to support health care access for Oregonians during the response to COVID-19. These changes include:
- Individuals can sign up for OHP without having to verify their income (submit a pay stub) with their application. They can self-attest, which helps Oregonians get access to OHP coverage more quickly.
- Most members who are currently enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan will not lose coverage during this crisis.
- Federal stimulus payments and increased unemployment payments will not affect OHP eligibility. They will not be counted during the application process or when members report a change in their household.
OHP provides free physical, dental and behavioral health coverage to Oregonians who qualify. For more information about applying for OHP, go to OHP.Oregon.gov.
