CareOregon policy change cuts reimbursement for associate counselors; local therapist warns of access loss

Amber Bowman, a counselor who runs the Lotus Center for Neurodiversity, told the Clatsop County Health Services Advisory Committee that CareOregon has enacted a policy change that will end reimbursement for associate‑level mental health providers and, starting Oct. 1, will stop paying out‑of‑network providers.

The policy, Bowman said during an Aug. meeting of the advisory committee, took effect July 31 and “will no longer reimburse associate level mental health providers, for mental health counseling.” She said she first learned the later, network‑restriction update on social media and that she applied to join CareOregon’s network in February but had not received a response.

The change reduces the set of local therapists available to people insured by CareOregon, Bowman said, and funnels those clients to community mental health agencies where wait lists and staff turnover are already common. “This policy change funnels our community members who have CareOregon to those options only,” Bowman said.

Why it matters: Bowman said she had more than 20 clients covered by CareOregon before July 31, many with complex diagnoses…