Hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans received purple letters from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) last month warning them that they may lose SoonerCare this year. The state Medicaid agency is restarting the renewal process, which it had paused during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Community health centers offer 1:1 help to patients to help them keep their families covered.
More than 308,000 Oklahomans may lose SoonerCare this year, but many simply need to update information about their address, income, or social security number. Community health centers employ community health workers to help patients keep their coverage and find other social supports like transportation and affordable food. CHCs also offer integrated services like medical, dental, behavioral health, and substance use disorder services to all patients, regardless of ability to pay or insurance status. CHCs provide discounts based on incomes to low-income households and wraparound services to help patients get the care they need to stay healthy.
“Community health centers are the backbone of primary care in Oklahoma and across the country,” said Sara Barry, CEO of Oklahoma Primary Care Association (OKPCA), the membership association of health centers. “More than one in three patients of a community health center in Oklahoma has Medicaid, and we’re here to help Oklahomans keep their coverage and help answer questions about SoonerCare.”
Last year, over 330,000 Oklahomans were served by community health centers. To learn more, contact [email protected].