A federal grant of $2.7 million has the potential to significantly improve north downtown Salem. This funding could transform the area in various ways and benefit the local community.
OHP Bridge, a new program launched by Oregon, now provides dental, eye, and health insurance coverage for adults who fall between 138% and 200% of the federal poverty level. This means individuals with incomes between $20,784 and $30,120, or households of four with incomes between $43,056 and $62,400, are now eligible.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Oregon’s plan for this program, which was developed by a task force created under House Bill 4035. Oregon is the third state to offer a basic health program for individuals slightly above Medicaid eligibility limits. It is the only state to provide a no-cost program with no premiums, co-payments, coinsurance or deductibles. The OHA Director Sejal Hathi expressed excitement about the launch of OHP Bridge emphasizing its role in helping people maintain health insurance coverage.
This initiative aims to ensure that all Oregonians have access to comprehensive health care services including physical, behavioral reproductive and dental care. The transition to this new program is expected to involve 55 thousand individuals currently under OHP Plus and 35 thousand individuals with private health plans. Oregonians can now apply for OHP Bridge coverage through the ONE system or HealthCare.gov. This new program marks an important milestone in Oregon’s ongoing efforts to provide quality affordable health care to all its residents while improving north downtown Salem’s infrastructure with federal grant funding.
