With the end of the COVID-19 federal public health emergency, the state is required to review eligibility for all 1.5 million Oregonians who have Oregon Health Plan (OHP) and other Medicaid benefits.
These medical renewals combined with unprecedented levels of people applying for and receiving medical, food, cash and child care benefits have led to a historically high number of callers to the ONE Customer Service Center and is impacting call wait times.
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is encouraging people in Oregon to use new alternate contact options given the high call wait times at the ONE Customer Service Center. The center provides phone support to people in Oregon calling to apply for or get help with their benefits.
ODHS anticipates that wait times will remain high during open enrollment season for Medicare and the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace. While people can apply for OHP any time of year, both open enrollment events increase awareness of an interest in applying for OHP.
OHP members are encouraged to respond as quickly as possible after they receive a request for information to avoid any possible delays. The fastest way members can provide an update is by going to "benefits.oregon.gov" and creating or logging into their ONE online account. People can also create a ONE online account and upload documents through the Oregon ONE mobile app.
The ONE Customer Service Center can be reached by phone at 1-(800)-699-9075, Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Call wait times are the lowest in the morning between 7 and 8, especially on Tuesday mornings. People are also welcome to visit their local ODHS office with questions.
