 Senate Bill 972 (2023) requires the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to transition the Marketplace from a state-based marketplace using the federal platform (SBM-FP) to a state-based marketplace (SBM) in time for open enrollment for plan year 2027. Specifically, OHA is required to procure and administer an information technology platform or service and call center, separate from the federal platform and call center, to provide electronic access to the health insurance exchange in this state by November 1, 2026.
The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace helps people in Oregon access affordable, high-quality health insurance through enrollment in private health insurance and federal subsidies during annual open enrollment and special enrollment periods. A state-based marketplace will give us more flexibility to make open enrollment fit the unique needs and budgets of people across Oregon. Transitioning to a state-based marketplace model will allow us to incorporate more meaningful community input into process and procedure changes.
The Oregon Health Authority is also dedicated to our 2030 goal of eliminating health inequities in Oregon by 2030. Below you will find some ways this change to the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace will better serve communities harmed by inequities in Oregon:
- Establishment of access to data and evidence to tailor outreach and be more intentional about efforts to enroll disproportionately uninsured people, including people of color and rural residents.
- Collection of data, particularly on race and ethnicity, will facilitate our understanding of enrollment disparities.
- Additional and more reliable data will allow Oregon to refine its outreach and communication strategies, both overall and in real time to reach targeted communities.
Immigrants and non-native English speakers may be more likely to enroll if additional translation and interpretation services are available to help them complete the application or to communicate effectively with navigators, agents and brokers, or the call center.
Since the last update in January 2026, the SBM Project completed a variety of deliverables including:
- Continuation of collaboration with Marketplace carriers, insurance agents, and community partners. See additional details in the Partner Engagement section.
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Planning for transition with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
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Finalization of system configuration decisions.
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Completed review of all user interface content using an Oregon-centric, plain language, and trauma-informed approach.
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Reports provided by the Independent Quality Management Services (IOMS) vendor, which are available upon request by email to marketplace.sbmproject@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
The Marketplace continues to place an emphasis on the importance of partner engagement, with continued activities through the first quarter of 2026:
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January partner listening sessions featuring GetInsured, the SBM solution partner for the project. The sessions included an in-depth preview of the partner portals and system, as well as project updates, implementation timelines, and upcoming activities. Recordings of the sessions can be found on the SBM Project website (orhim.info/4p9TWE2), where you can also find a report of results.
- Coordinated planning and scheduling with CMS for direct
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Monthly work sessions with insurance carriers began in January, which included carrier specific preparation and activities.
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Monthly updates given at partner collaborative meetings and through newsletters sent to insurance agents and application assisters.
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Quarterly SBM Project newsletter continued distribution in January 2026 (orhim.info/41wf0e3). The Marketplace encourages all interested individuals to register for the newsletter at orhim.info/sbmupdates.
The table below contains a comprehensive list of deliverables and milestones, along with their corresponding start dates, due dates, and current status.
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Project initiation
Business case, charter, planning initialization
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Stage Gate 1 Endorsement, Initiation complete
Approved conditionally, contingent on independent quality management services (IQMS) vendor acquisition
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Stage Gate 2 Endorsement, Resource & Solution Analysis and Planning complete
Resource and solution analysis and planning, includes cloud workbook, requirements collection, Quality Assurance vendor acquisition, start of RFP planning, 50% accuracy scope, schedule, and budget
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Solution vendor procurement
RFP planning and process through contract execution
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Stage gate 3 Endorsement, Implementation Planning complete
Detailed budget and schedule, baseline project plan based on executed contract, approved LFO readiness assessment and execution funds
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Conduct product orientation sessions and workstream kick-off meetings
Business requirements development, knowledge gathering, and resource allocation for full suite of products including carrier portal, data reporting and analytics, and account transfer
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Configure platform and CAC system
Various configurations in the SBM platform and Consumer Assistance Center (CAC) system
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Conduct testing of systems
Confirmation that the solution meets agreed-upon requirements, including user acceptance testing (UAT), connection to the Federal Data Services Hub, data migration, auto-renewals, and carrier connections (EDI, directory, and payment)
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Implement consumer assistance center
Finalization of system readiness, develop training materials, and support hiring for soft launch
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Conduct training
User training on the SBM platform and CAC for all interested parties including staff, community partners, and insurance agents
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Receive CMS conditional approval to Go-Live
Connection establishment with CMS and OHP data sources in production environment and CMS conditional go-live approval receipt for plan year 2027
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Production migration and auto-renewal activities
Data migration to the platform and testing completion
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Soft launch
Launch CAC and SBM Portal, notifying consumers of the transition and upcoming access before Open Enrollment
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Full launch and Go-Live for new system
Executed transition
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Stage Gate 4, Execution complete and move to operations
Product/system acceptance, maintenance and operations in steady state begins
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