Agencies report progress on SB 296: eligibility dashboard, PHAC 100‑day benefit now live
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Summary
Oregon health agencies and providers told the Senate Interim Committee on Health that work directed by Senate Bill 296 is underway: a Medicaid LTSS eligibility dashboard is in final testing, reports to the legislature are due by Aug. 15, 2026, and the post‑hospital extended care (PHAC) benefit expanded from 20 to 100 days is live as of Jan. 1, 2026 for eligible Oregon Health Plan members.
Co‑chairs and task force members briefed the Senate Interim Committee on Health today on implementation steps following the task force report and last year’s legislation (Senate Bill 296). Jimmy Jones (executive director, Mid Willamette Valley Community Action Agency) summarized the task force origins and unanimous recommendations to address hospital discharge bottlenecks that emerged during the pandemic, including Medicaid LTSS eligibility delays, workforce shortages and the need for expanded community post‑acute care settings.
Jane Ellen Weidance (deputy director of policy, Office of Aging and People with Disabilities, ODHS) and Nathan Roberts (Oregon Health Authority, Medicaid division) reported operational progress: the LTSS eligibility dashboard is in final testing and expected to be publicly posted by March 1, 2026; agencies are contracting with vendors to conduct deep‑dive studies and operational reviews; and statutory reporting back to the legislature is due by August 15, 2026. Weidance noted the asset‑test language had been removed from the enacted bill, and described efforts to streamline IT, assessments and workflows.
Nathan Roberts and OHA staff explained the post‑hospital extended care benefit was increased from 20 to 100 days under SB 296, federal permission to use Medicaid funds was sought in September and confirmed in November, administrative rules and coordinated care organization contracts were updated, and the benefit is live as of Jan. 1, 2026 for Oregon Health Plan members who are fully OHP‑eligible (not Medicare dual‑eligible).
Provider witnesses described continuing operational strain. Connie Amos (senior director, post‑acute care, OHSU) said OHSU had 56 patients awaiting post‑acute placements and cited examples of long hospital stays while awaiting Medicaid approval; Libby Battlin (Senior VP, Government Relations, Oregon Health Care Association) stressed workforce shortages, rising resident acuity, and unpaid Medicaid balances as drivers of discharge delays and urged the legislature to maintain funding and enhanced rates for providers serving medically complex patients.
What’s next: Agencies will post the LTSS eligibility dashboard and complete required reports by the August statutory deadline; committee members and presenters emphasized monitoring utilization and workforce impacts as the PHAC benefit expands.
