Managing chronic health conditions through weight loss and maintenance is about improving health and well-being. As a SoonerCare provider, you have the opportunity to inform your patients about the nutrition counseling benefit, which includes six counseling sessions with a registered dietitian. They don't need to wait for a New Year's resolution. October is the perfect time to start building healthier habits. Find out who qualifies.

Please update your OHCA provider files to ensure all details, including new or missing locations and group member assignments, are accurate. If your update impacts services under SoonerSelect partners, email your Application Tracking Number (ATN), received upon submitting your update on the OHCA provider portal, to providerenrollment@okhca.org with "SoonerSelect update" and your ATN in the subject line.

For the following provider types, 75-day renewals started Aug. 17, and contracts expire Oct. 31, 2025.

• Inpatient psychiatric facilities

For the following provider types, 75-day renewals started Sept. 17, and contracts expire Nov. 30, 2025.

• Certified nurse practitioner (ARNP)
• Certified nurse midwife
• Certified registered nurse anesthetist
• Clinical nurse specialist
• Chiropractor
• Diagnostic sleep study
• Group
• Mobile and/or portable dental clinic
• OSU and OU physicians
• Rural health clinic

Please be sure that the contact information, including email address, is up to date for all individual and facility/group provider files so that important contract information will be received.

Help your patients maintain a squeaky-clean and healthy mouth! Cigarette smoking, smokeless tobacco and other forms of tobacco cause oral cancer, gum disease and other oral health problems. Talk to your patients about the benefits of getting routine checkups and how quitting tobacco can help keep their oral health in top shape! SoonerCare covers all FDA-approved medications to help your patient quit tobacco, and it reimburses for tobacco cessation counseling.

This October, your patients can receive double the standard amount of nicotine replacement therapy from the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. That means eight weeks of free patches, gum or lozenges! This limited-time offer increases your patients’ odds of successfully quitting tobacco, one craving at a time. Whether they smoke, dip or vape, ensure they understand their health is at risk and encourage them to sign up by Oct. 31.

The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline also provides a range of free resources to support your patients, including:

• Encouraging coach support to provide tips when your patients need them most.
• Supportive text messages and emails with actionable advice.
• Live online group sessions where your patients can connect and chat with peers.
• A personalized dashboard to track progress, healthy habits and nicotine replacement therapy shipping status.

SoonerCare members may also receive additional quit services, such as additional weeks of nicotine replacement therapy and counseling. Talk with them to find which services are right for their needs. And if you need free Helpline materials for your office — there are 20 items to choose from — order online today.

Recent reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others support the need to reduce opioid and benzodiazepine (BZD) co-prescribing. Consider the most recent Oklahoma statistics: In 2023, more than 60% of fatal overdoses were opioid-related. Of the more than 4,400 non-fatal overdoses the same year, nearly 1 in 4 were opioid-related and 1 in 10 were BZD-related.

To avoid this potentially deadly combination, health care providers must always carefully weigh the risk versus benefit of co-prescribing opioids and BZDs. Please implement the following evidence-based strategies to reduce the risk of overdose.

• Use alternatives to opioids and BZDs, such as nonopioid pain management and non-BZD treatment of anxiety or sleep disorders.
• Gradually taper both opioids and BZDs to the lowest effective dose.
• Monitor closely by scheduling regular follow-up appointments and re-evaluating the benefits and risks of opioids and BZDs.
• Educate patients on the risk of respiratory depression and the potential for fatal overdose. Remind them to avoid alcohol and other medications that can cause respiratory depression.
• Prescribe naloxone. It is covered by SoonerCare, doesn't count toward the member's monthly prescription limit and has no copay.
• Follow current prescribing guidelines from Oklahoma and the CDC.

If you have questions about a particular medication or other pharmacy benefit questions, please call the Pharmacy Help Desk associated with your patient’s health plan.