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Oregon Project Independence – Medicaid APPROVED

Ben McCarty

by Kristan Dael

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have approved the expansion of the state-funded Oregon Project Independence (OPI) program for individuals who need in-home services and supports. The approval makes possible a new version of the OPI program, to be supported with Medicaid funds. The new program is called Oregon Project Independence – Medicaid, or OPI-M.

 

The program is expected to provide services beyond what the state-funded program can provide thanks to federal funding via Medicaid. Effective 2024 through 2029, OPI-M will serve an estimated 4,500 Oregonians annually, up from about 1,850 currently served through OPI.

 

OPI-M is an expansion of the state-funded OPI program, which helps cover the costs of in-home care for older adults and people with disabilities. The expansion provides the following, for a minimum of the next five years, when the program will come up for review/possible renewal.

 

BENEFITS

  • Medicaid funds to pay for in-home services and supports for individuals who do not qualify for regular Medicaid.
  • Will serve individuals with higher income and assets than regular Medicaid
  • No participant fees and no estate recovery.

 

SERVICES

  • In-home care services (help with bathing, eating, and walking, shopping, cooking and cleaning)
  • Chore services (deep cleaning a home or addressing bug infestations)
  • Adult day services
  • Emergency response systems
  • Home delivered meals
  • Assistive technology
  • Home accessibility modifications
  • Trainings and other supports for unpaid caregivers​​

 

With a limited rollout in June 2024, the program is designed to provide more people access to services that support aging at home, potentially delaying or preventing them from entering the traditional Medicaid system. Full rollout will occur in spring 2025.

 

More than 875,000 Oregonians are currently 65 and older, expected to reach nearly a million by 2030. The number of people 85 and older, and those most at risk of needing Medicaid long-term care services and supports (roughly 85,000 today), is expected to increase to approximately 135,000 in the next 10 years.

Learn more at https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/providers-partners/seniors-disabilities/pages/1115-demonstration-waiver.aspx.