The Oregon Health Authority is holding listening sessions for patients and providers as two insurers that manage health care for low-income Oregonians gear up to move care responsibilities for nearly 92,000 Lane County residents.
Those people currently have Oregon Health Plan benefits through PacificSource. At the end of next month they’ll be moved to Trillium Community Health Plan following the decision by PacificSource this fall to reluctantly pull out of serving Medicaid members in Lane County. The Springfield-based insurer said it couldn’t manage with the rates offered by the state for that county, though it will continue to serve nearly 153,000 Oregon Health Plan members in Marion and Polk counties, along with 18,000 in the Columbia River Gorge and 75,000 in central Oregon.
Trillium already serves nearly 34,000 Oregon Health Plan members in Lane county, along with nearly 66,000 in the Portland tri-county area. It is owned by the for-profit health care company Centene, a national Medicaid insurer with financial woes of its own.
To serve the additional members in Lane County, Trillium will need to contract with more providers, but it’s unclear whether it will be able to expand its network as much as needed. PacificSource reportedly paid providers higher rates and had a wider network, including large providers such as Optum-owned Oregon Medical Group and McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. Trillium does not currently have contracts in effect with those two companies, although that could change.
In preparation for the transition, officials from the health authority and the two insurers will be holding several “listening sessions” for providers and Oregon Health Plan members starting this week. Representatives from the state, Trillium and PacificSource will be at the sessions. The first two will will be for providers on:
Three sessions will be held for members in person (or they can register to attend virtually) on:
- Saturday, Dec. 6, 12 - 1:30 p.m. at Cottage Grove Community Center, 700 E. Gibbs Ave., Cottage Grove.
- Tuesday, Dec. 9, 12 – 1:30 p.m. at Siuslaw Library, 1460 Ninth St., Florence.
- Thursday, Dec. 11, 6 - 7:30 p.m., The Graduate Hotel Eugene, 66 E. Sixth Ave., Eugene.
All of the 92,000 people will move to Trillium by Feb. 1 and they will all get new health care cards, health authority officials told The Lund Report. The officials have pledged to ensure a smooth transition and are sending letters by mail to members 30 days before the shift to explain the change.
PacificSource will continue to serve its Lane County members until they’re moved to Trillium, and members will continue to receive the same free physical, mental and dental care after the transition. But some eventually may have to switch providers, depending on whether Trillium is able to enter into contracts with the professionals they’re seeing.
Trillium’s senior communications director, Courtney Johnston, said in an email that the company was “honored” to serve more Oregonian health plan members and is working closely with the health authority to ease the switch.
“In advance of the transition, we are strengthening and expanding our partnerships with providers and community organizations," Johnston said.
Medicaid members will be able to access the same services for 30 to 90 days and to get care that has already been approved, according to the health authority.
Members with questions about pre-approved care can call PacificSource at 800-431-4135. And for more information, check the listening session registration page and the health authority’s website.
