Federal Government Approves Oregon Medicaid Waiver, Including First-in-Nation Medicaid Funding for Food and Housing.

Agreement also expands health coverage for children and provides $1.1 billion in new federal funding.

SALEM, Ore. -  Today, Oregon received federal approval to pilot first-in-the-nation changes to the state’s Medicaid program over the next five years. Under the agreement, Oregon would receive $1.1 billion in new federal funds to address inadequate food, housing and other root-cause issues that lead to poor health for people and families struggling to make ends meet. As part of the agreement, the federal government also approved expanded Oregon Health Plan (OHP) coverage for young children, as well as extended eligibility for youth and adults.

The Oregon Health Plan, which is Oregon’s Medicaid program, provides comprehensive health coverage to approximately 1.4 million Oregonians, more than one in three state residents. States may request federal approval to test innovations in their Medicaid programs. Today’s agreement between Oregon and the federal agency Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) renews Oregon’s current section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver for the next five years (covering 2022 – 2027) and provides federal sign-off and funding to implement the new changes.

A state must apply for a Medicaid waiver when it wants to make changes from normal federal guidelines. States can request flexibilities in who is eligible for Medicaid, what benefits they receive and how health care is delivered.

 “I’m proud to work alongside Oregon to advance policies to expand access to high-quality health care, particularly for those most in need,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Thanks to this demonstration, for example, eligible children in Oregon will be able to keep their Medicaid coverage continuously until age 6, eliminating potential gaps in coverage and care. The demonstration also invests in the services that people need to address their health-related social needs, such as medically tailored meals and housing supports. That is transformational change – as are many of the other components included in Oregon’s 1115 demonstration. We encourage all states to follow Oregon’s lead supporting a whole-person approach to care” ….read more

Washington State is next in line for review of their Medicaid Waiver application. We will continue to update as more information becomes available.