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Welcome to the newest edition of the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) 1115 Medicaid Waiver newsletter.
In this Issue:
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Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is scheduled to begin offering new Medicaid benefits called health-related social needs (HRSNs) as a covered benefit to eligible Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members for climate-related supports in January 2024, housing assistance in November 2024, and food insecurity in January 2025.
Until then, OHP members may be able to access Health-Related Services (HRS), which are available through many coordinated care organizations (CCO). HRS for CCO members are called flexible services and aim to improve an individual’s health, even though they don’t necessarily fall into the category of direct medical care.
Examples of HRS flexible services include:
- Food supports, such as grocery delivery, food vouchers, or medically tailored meals
- Short-term housing supports, such as rental deposits to support moving costs, rental assistance for a short period of time, or utility set-up fees
- Temporary housing or shelter while recovering from hospitalization
- Climate devices like an air conditioner or air filter
Because HRS flexible services are not a covered benefit, OHP members must be in a CCO to request these services, which may be subject to approval of a provider and funding availability. Native American OHP members without a CCO can request health-related services via CareOregon by calling 503-416-4100.
Additional information about HRS flexible service is available in the flexible service member info sheet. CCO members can call their member services number to request HRS flexible services. For OHP members who are not associated with a CCO, a list of other community resources are available here.
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As part of the state’s 1115 Medicaid waiver, Oregon will be able to provide climate support devices like air purifiers, heaters, and air conditioners to qualified OHP members beginning Jan. 1, 2024. Climate support devices will be a covered benefit for OHP members who need them as part of medical treatment or for prevention during declared climate emergencies.
OHA is seeking your feedback about the rules and regulations for climate supports. You can provide comment by attending a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting on Oct. 18th from 1:30pm – 3:30pm via Zoom. Meeting registration information and a draft of the proposed rules can be found on OHA’s RAC website under the heading “meeting materials.” Feedback can also be provided by emailing comments to Josh Thompson (joshua.r.thompson@oha.oregon.gov). The deadline to provide comments via email is Oct. 25 at 5pm.
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The OHA community engagement team hosts monthly webinars with topical overviews and upcoming milestones. These meetings provide space for attendees to learn and ask questions about the waiver. All 1115 waiver webinar presentation videos and slides can be found on the waiver website under the headline, “Learn More.”
Join us Wednesday, Oct 18 at 2:00pm for the next webinar in Spanish or Wednesday, Nov 1 at 10:00am for the next webinar in English.
Click here to access the first Waiververse newsletter.
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