Oregonians urged to respond to renewals for medical benefits; five out of six people keep benefits

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — With more than a million renewals complete, so far more than five out of six Oregonians are keeping their Oregon Health Plan or other Medicaid benefits. Oregon is nearly three-quarters of the way through the process of renewing medical benefits after the COVID-19 emergency.  

Oregon’s 85 percent renewal rate is the third highest in a national comparison of state renewal rates by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy organization. KFF analysis shows Oregon also has saved more people from unnecessary paperwork than any other state via the automated renewal process. 

Oregonians encouraged to respond to renewals

More than 400,000 people — about 9 percent of Oregon’s population — still need to respond to a renewal or will receive a letter in coming months.  

Members who have not received a renewal yet should: 

• Keep their address and contact information up to date. 
• Check their mail or Online ONE account for their renewal letter. 
• Do what the renewal letter asks as soon as possible.  

Anyone concerned they missed their letter should get help with their renewal via one of the ways to find help listed below. 

People who are asked to submit information to finish the medical renewal process should consider uploading documents through a ONE online account at ONE.Oregon.gov or the free Oregon ONE Mobile app. They are the fastest ways to share required information.  

• It’s best to set-up a ONE online account before downloading the mobile app.  
• People who need help setting up a ONE online account can call 833-978-1073 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. All relay calls accepted. 

Although most people are keeping coverage, 1 in 6 people are losing or reducing benefits. Over 150,000 people will need to consider their other coverage options after completing their renewal.  

People who do not have coverage through a job or Medicare may be able to enroll through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace with financial help. People who have recently lost OHP benefits can enroll anytime until July 31, 2024 or within 60 days of their benefits ending. Open enrollment for 2024 also continues until Jan. 16, 2024. For more information and ways to get help signing up for Marketplace, Medicare, or employer coverage, see “what to do if OHP is ending” below. 

December OHP renewal data

As of Dec. 13, 2023, 1,053,636 people have completed the renewal process. This represents 72.4 percent of all OHP and Medicaid members.  

• 898,868 people (85.3 percent) were renewed and kept their benefits.  
• 140,535 people (13 percent) were found ineligible. 

16,227 people (1.5 percent) had a reduction in their benefits. Most of these members lost full OHP but were able to continue Medicare Savings Programs that help pay their Medicare costs. In December, renewal letters were sent to an additional 143,808 people.   

• 73.6 percent were renewed without any action needed.  
• 21.4 percent were asked to provide some information to renew. The most common requests are for income-related proof such as paystubs, or forms of identification such as a government identification or birth certificate. 
• 2.4 percent were asked to fill out a renewal form. 
• 2.9 percent had previously reported that they no longer met income limits or other requirements and received a notice that their benefits will end in 60 days. 

Find help renewing your benefits

1. Learn more about how to renew your Oregon Health Plan medical coverage. 
2. Call the ONE Customer Service Center at 800-699-9075. All relay calls are accepted, and help is available in multiple languages. Wait times are lowest between 7 and 8 a.m. 
3. Visit or call a local Oregon Department of Human Services office. People can find their local office at https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/Pages/office-finder.aspx. 
4. Visit a community partner for free in-person help. To find one near you visit OregonHealthCare.gov/GetHelp (English) or orhim.info/ayuda (Spanish). 

The large number of OHP renewals, along with renewals of long-term services and supports, may cause greater wait times, delays, and possible interruptions to people’s OHP benefits. The fastest way members can provide an update is by going to benefits.oregon.gov and logging into their ONE online account. 

What to do if your OHP is ending:

• First, review the case summary in your letter to make sure the information used to make the decision was correct. If that information has changed, notify the state. You can call the ONE Customer Service Center at 800-699-9075 (toll-free, all relay calls accepted) or find other options to connect at benefits.oregon.gov. If the information on file for you is correct and you disagree with the decision, you can request a hearing. Learn more about hearings. 
• Explore options through an employer. If you, your spouse, or a parent are working, you may be eligible for health coverage through that employer. Talk to your manager or Human Resources department to see if you qualify. You will have a special enrollment period to enroll mid-year due to loss of OHP benefits.  
• If you have or are eligible for Medicare: For help understanding and choosing the right Medicare options, go to OregonHealthcare.gov/GetHelp to find an insurance agent or a counselor at the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance Program (SHIBA). You can also call SHIBA at 800-722-4134.  

If you need to sign up for Medicare for the first time, contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) at 800-772-1213 to enroll by phone or find a local office. You can also enroll in Medicare online at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up.  

• Nearly 80 percent of Oregonians qualify for financial help through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace. Visit OregonHealthCare.gov/WindowShop to answer a few quick questions, find out how much you can save and find out how much coverage may cost you. You can also call the Marketplace Transition Help Center at 833-699-6850 (toll-free, all relay calls accepted). 
• Need free local help finding other coverage? Visit OregonHealthCare.gov/GetHelp to find professional help near you. 

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) are committed to transparency and will continue to send monthly information about medical coverage among Oregonians as the agencies continue to track the programs. Check our ONE Eligibility Operations Dashboards for more frequent updates on medical renewal data and wait times for callers to the ONE Customer Service Center.