CareOregon’s return to pre-pandemic mental health care protocol severs current care

CareOregon’s return to pre-pandemic mental health care protocol severs current care

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, SEARCH AND RESCUE AND CRITICAL MEDICAL CARE. >>NEW RESTRICTIONS ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR OREGON HEALTH PLANS CARE OREGON MEMBERS WILL CUT ABOUT 15,000 PEOPLE FROM THEIR CURRENT CARE. THAT’S ACCORDING TO CARE OREGON, THE NONPROFIT INSURANCE PROVIDER GIVING FREE MENTAL HEALTH CARE COVERAGE TO ITS MEMBERS, SAID IN A BULLETIN ON JULY 31ST THAT IT WILL NO LONGER PAY FOR OUTPATIENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE BY PRE-LICENSED PROVIDERS UNLESS THEY’RE CONTRACTED WITH CARE OREGON. THE CHANGE IMPACTS ROUTINE OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER SERVICES. LOCAL PROVIDERS SAY THIS REDUCES THE NUMBER OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS ABLE TO ACCEPT CLIENTS WITH CARE. OREGON WITH SOME, LIKE EMERALD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, RELOCATING CLIENTS. >>EVEN ONE IS TOO MANY. HONESTLY, ONE PERSON HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, WITHDRAW FROM SERVICES BECAUSE THEIR INSURANCE WON’T COVER IT ANYMORE. I’VE WORKED AS A THERAPIST FOR PLACES THAT HAVE HAD WAITLISTS AS LONG AS TWO YEARS, BECAUSE THEY’RE JUST NOT PROVIDERS THAT CAN TAKE THE INSURANCE. IT’S DISHEARTENING. IT’S HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE I GOT INTO THIS JOB TO HELP PEOPLE. THEY’RE MAKING IT EXPONENTIALLY MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED. WE TRIED TO GET CONTRACTED WITH THEM, AND THEY’VE SAID THEY HAVE ENOUGH PROVIDERS. >>IN A STATEMENT, CARE OREGON SAID DURING THE PANDEMIC, OREGON FACED A SHORTAGE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, COMBINED WITH RISING DEMAND FOR THOSE SERVICES. CARE OREGON RESPONDED TO THAT MOMENT BY OPENING ITS NETWORK TO WORK WITH CONTRACTED AND NON-CONTRACTED PROVIDERS. SERVICES FROM NON-CONTRACTED PROVIDERS COST AS MUCH AS 40 TO 95%, MORE THAN FROM CONTRACTED PROVIDERS. THIS POLICY CHANGE WILL ALLOW CARE OREGON TO CONTINUE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR MEMBERS UNDER NEW FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, INCLUDING SWEEPING FEDERAL MEDICAID CUTS. NOW, CARE OREGON IS REACHING OUT DIRECTLY TO IMPACTED MEMBERS TO HELP THEM TRANSITION TO CONTRACTED PROVIDERS. FOR MEDICAID PATIENTS. THE CHANGE IS EFFECTIVE

There are new restrictions on behavioral health care services for Oregon Health Plan’s CareOregon members, impacting roughly 15,000 people.

CareOregon, a nonprofit insurance provider that offers free mental health care coverage to its members, said in a bulletin on July 31 that it will no longer pay for outpatient behavioral health care by pre-licensed providers, unless they’re part of a group practice that’s either contracted with CareOregon or has a certificate of approval with CareOregon.

MORE HERE: https://nbc16.com/news/local/careoregons-return-to-pre-pandemic-mental-health-care-protocol-severs-current-care-08-06-2025

Anchor: Gold Meadows
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