Oregon expands Medicaid to help some members buy groceries

Some Oregon Health Plan members can now get help buying groceries under a new Medicaid benefit that state officials hope will improve people’s health and keep them out of the hospital.

Starting this month, Oregon Health Plan members who have certain serious medical conditions and struggle to afford enough food can apply to receive up to six months of nutrition benefits through one of two new programs.

One covers fruits and vegetables. The other helps pay for pantry staples such as meat, fish, dairy products, bread, cooking oils, canned foods and spices.

The grocery benefits are the latest addition to Oregon’s health-related social needs initiative, an ambitious effort that has expanded what Medicaid pays for beyond traditional medical care. In 2022, Oregon won federal approval to use Medicaid dollars for services such as housing assistance, medically tailored meals, nutrition education and climate-related equipment, including air conditioners and air filters for people whose health is threatened by extreme heat or wildfire smoke.

Dr. Sejal Hathi, director of the Oregon Health Authority, said the latest nutrition benefits serve as another “important tool to help people stay healthy.”

“When people have reliable access to nutritious food, they can better manage their health, which reduces emergency visits, lowers hospital readmissions and helps bring down medical spending overall,” she said in a statement.

Oregon health officials did not immediately say Wednesday how many Medicaid members they expect will qualify for the new nutrition benefits.

The benefit expansion comes as fewer Oregonians are receiving help buying groceries through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

About 708,000 Oregonians received SNAP benefits in April, roughly 70,000 fewer than a year earlier. The decline has been steeper than state officials expected after President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1, which reduced federal spending on SNAP and Medicaid.

Dr. Margaret Cary, the Oregon Health Plan’s behavioral health medical director, said the new Medicaid nutrition benefits were never intended to replace SNAP.

“We know this is not going to solve hunger in Oregon. That’s not Medicaid’s role,” Cary said.

Still, she said, some Oregonians who have lost SNAP benefits or are receiving less food assistance could qualify for the new Medicaid program if they also meet its medical and eligibility requirements.

The latest nutrition benefits are available only to a narrow group of Oregon Health Plan members who have low or very low food security, meet certain medical requirements and are in qualifying situations, such as homelessness, recent incarceration or treatment, or involvement with Oregon’s foster care system.

The new pantry-stocking program is even more limited, with eligibility restricted to pregnant people, young children, young adults with special health care needs and certain older children and young adults with complex health needs.

Oregon Health Plan members can receive only one of the two benefits at a time, although they may apply for the other after the first benefit ends if they are still eligible.

Depending on where they live and which health plan they belong to, members will receive either grocery boxes delivered to their homes or prepaid cards they can use to buy approved foods at participating stores. The benefits last up to six months.

State officials did not immediately provide the average dollar value of the benefits. But Cary said they’re meant to supplement, not replace, a household’s grocery budget.

Members enrolled in coordinated care organizations can apply through their health plan. Those in Oregon’s fee‑for‑service Medicaid program, known as Open Card, can request benefits through the state’s contractor, Acentra, by calling 1-888-834-4304.

This story originally appeared in The Oregonian/OregonLive: Oregon expands Medicaid to help some members buy groceries