PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Thousands of Oregonians who rely on federal money to pay their health insurance may be about to lose coverage.
Currently, 1.5 million Oregonians are on Oregon Health Plan and Children’s Health Insurance Plan. The state estimates more than 100,000 could lose eligibility as the state starts to review income eligibility.
During the pandemic, the state didn’t have to check incomes and added 300,000-400,000 people to the OHP – many of whom had lost their jobs.
Those with OHP coverage will get a packet in the mail from the state sometime over the next several months asking to verify information, especially income.
One of the biggest concerns is not having current address information needed to keep them enrolled, says Oregon Medicaid Director Dana Hittle.
“Many folks who are vulnerable with significant healthcare needs need to maintain their healthcare coverage and we need to know where to find them in order to keep the healthcare coverage going,” Hittle said.
There are several ways to update one’s information before the deadline, according to Oregon.gov:
- Online at one.oregon.gov
- Via your coordinated care organization (CCO). Members can find their CCO contact information by visiting their website or by phone at: 833-647-3678
- By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309
- By phone at: 1-800-699-9075 or TTY 711. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST. Hold times are the shortest in the morning from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
- By calling a toll-free language line: You can connect with an interpreter in 16 different languages before being transferred to the Customer Service Center by selecting a toll-free language line at: benefits.oregon.gov
- By contacting an OHP-certified Community Partner
- In person at any Self-Sufficiency Program, Aging and People with Disabilities or Area Agency on Aging office. Locations and phone numbers can be found here.
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.