Oregon Health Plan launched ‘OHP Bridge’ program July 1 to help fill healthcare gaps
By Emma Coke, Ashland.news
An estimated 6,000 additional Jackson County residents are eligible for Oregon’s free health insurance program, Oregon Health Plan, following the July 1 launch of “OHP Bridge.”
OHP Bridge aims to close the gap leaving those most likely to go uninsured without coverage. The name references the goal to “bridge” the health coverage gap between people who have traditional OHP and people who have Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace coverage, OHP said in a news release announcing the new program. Those with income just above traditional Medicaid limits but not enough income to afford marketplace coverage often go uninsured.
OHP Bridge will provide free health insurance (medical, dental and mental health) and transportation support to appointments for those earning between 138 to 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). For an individual, that means earning up to $30,120 a year, and for a family of four, that means up to $62,400 a year.
The Oregon Health Authority estimates 100,000 people statewide will register for OHP Bridge by 2027. In Jackson County, 39.4% of residents are currently under OHP as of June. OHP Bridge will likely increase that, providing health insurance to an additional estimated 6,000 residents, per data from the Oregon Health Authority.
“It’s a pretty big deal, for I think many residents in our area, knowing that 78,000 in our county are under 200% of the FPL,” said Tara Kirk, chief operations officer at La Clinica, a Medford-based group of health centers providing healthcare primarily for low-income patients.
More information
For more information about OHP Bridge, click here.
To apply for OHP Bridge, click here.
People in Oregon qualify for OHP Bridge if they:
• Are 19 to 64 years old;
• Have an income between 138 percent and 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL);
• Have an eligible citizenship or immigration status; and
• Do not have access to other affordable health insurance.
Household size / Income limit for OHP Bridge (200% FPL)*
1 / $30,120
2 / $40,880
3 / $51,640
4 / $62,400
5 / $73,160
6 / $83,920
*These income limits change in March of each year per federal guidelines.
At La Clinica, Kirk said their doctors see a number of patients who have been on the edge of qualifying for OHP for years, but have yet to be able to enroll. Many of these patients have historically avoided or delayed receiving healthcare.
“Without health insurance, people tend to delay their care and put it off, which certainly does not help them prevent things,” Kirk said. “Or if they have a chronic illness, definitely their chronic illness can be poorly controlled, then they can end up in the hospital.”
Other individuals have faced issues with receiving OHP one year, and then losing eligibility the next year, placing them at risk of going uninsured.
“For people who are on the edge of OHP eligibility, it is a major disruptor to go in and out of access to OHP,” said Pam Marsh, state representative for southern Jackson County.
According to Marsh, OHP Bridge will provide a seamless transition for those who previously popped in and out of OHP based on past FPL guidelines, ensuring they can maintain the same providers.
“You can have confidence, if you’re a person whose income varies over a period of time, or whose income is slightly above OHP eligibility, that you will have access to healthcare,” Marsh said. “You don’t have to worry about going in and out of coverage or not being able to access coverage.”
At La Clinica, Kirk said their benefits specialists are working to inform potentially eligible patients about OHP Bridge, either by calling them or talking with them when they come in for appointments.
“There are resources to help people navigate through,” Kirk said. “The application process can be confusing or daunting. We have benefit specialists in La Clinica that are willing, ready and available to help them navigate through.”
So far, La Clinica has helped a few patients enroll. Kirk is hopeful more will enroll soon.
“I hope that it really helps families who found themselves kind of caught in the middle space of earning too much to previously qualify, but really struggling to make ends meet if they pay for their (current) insurance,” Kirk said.
“We want people to be able to build lives and strive for increased income without worrying that they’re going to basically work themselves out of having healthcare coverage,” Marsh said.
Email Ashland.news reporter intern Emma Coke at emmasuecoke@gmail.com.
Related story: Oregon expands free Medicaid health insurance to tens of thousands more people (July 12, 2024)
