Record 97% of Oregonians have health insurance coverage, Oregon Health Authority reports

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – New data from Oregon Health Authority estimates that 97 percent of Oregonians have health coverage, the highest recorded insured rate in state history.

Health insurance coverage numbers are sourced from OHA’s Oregon Health Insurance Survey (OHIS), which informs how many Oregonians are covered by health insurance statewide, and gathers information about medical bills, medical debt, and the ability to get healthcare.

“Every Oregonian deserves an opportunity to be healthy, and access to affordable health care through the Oregon Health Plan is part of the equation,” Governor Kotek said. “I am proud of the work Oregon has done to maintain health insurance coverage for thousands of Oregonians after the pandemic.”

The high insured rate comes from a multi-year state effort to help people obtain and keep coverage, including through:

• The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace. Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect in 2014, Oregon has seen a 12 percent increase in people covered. The ACA has made health coverage more affordable for Oregonians by offering premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. More than 145,000 Oregonians currently have health insurance through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace and more than 80 percent are receiving financial help.
• Oregon Health Plan (OHP). Because of the ACA, Oregon was able to extend OHP coverage to approximately 400,000 Oregonians who lacked health insurance. There are currently more than 1.4 million Oregonians covered by OHP, the state’s Medicaid program. Oregon has the highest rate in the nation for keeping people covered throughout post-COVID Medicaid renewals, due to strategic efforts including community outreach, using automated systems to minimize the need for members to respond, and offering more time for members to respond than any other state.
• OHP Bridge. A new eligibility category called OHP Bridge, made available in July 2024, offers OHP coverage to people with higher than previously allowed incomes. There are currently more than 26,000 people covered through OHP Bridge, which is the only offering of its kind in the country to provide coverage with no member costs, including no premiums, co-payments, or deductibles. In preparation for OHP Bridge, Oregon was able to keep eligible individuals covered throughout the 2023 Medicaid renewal process.
• Healthier Oregon. Starting in July 2022, Oregon began offering a path to health coverage for people who meet all other criteria except immigration status. Close to 90,000 people, including more than 10,000 children, now have access to preventive care and other important health services. Oregon was the first state in the country to offer this opportunity to all ages.
• Extended Coverage Options. Oregon applied for and received authority to keep kids and adults on OHP for longer periods of time. Starting in January 2023, children who qualify for OHP can now be covered from birth to age six, regardless of changes to their household circumstance or income. Adults may now be able to keep OHP benefits for two years, instead of one.   

OHA Director Dr. Sejal Hathi said, “Access to affordable health coverage is the cornerstone of human dignity and the chance to live a healthy life. Through all of Oregon’s extraordinary efforts, health care for all is on the path to becoming a reality, making it possible for everyone in our communities to reach their full potential and well-being.”

Data from OHIS are included in an interactive dashboard, which allows people to explore demographic and geographic information from 2011 – 2023.  Additional data in the dashboard show that: 

• Approximately one third (32.4 percent) of the remaining uninsured Oregonians are likely eligible for Oregon Health Plan (OHP) statewide.
• Premiums being too expensive on plans offered via employers was the most common reason people cited for being uninsured. 
• In 2023, 7.7 percent of Hispanic or Latinx Oregonians reported being uninsured, down from 27 percent in 2011. While increases in insurance rates were seen among each race or ethnicity group between 2011 and 2023, disparities for communities of color remain. 

The dashboard is available on the OHA web site, as well as a data brief on the Health Policy and Analytics web page.  

Oregonians can apply for OHP, including OHP Bridge, at any time. For coverage through Oregon’s Health Insurance Marketplace, people can apply and enroll during open enrollment (Nov. 1 to Jan. 15) or within 60 days of a qualifying life alert. A tool to locate health coverage programs and savings can be found at: OregonHealthCare.gov/WindowShop.