Oklahoma residents who use SoonerCare need to take action to keep their coverage

[See this announcement in Spanish]

[Informational Handout – English, PDF] | [Informational Handout – Spanish, PDF]

– – –

Rules are changing for SoonerCare, which provides health care insurance for many Oklahoma residents and their families. 

Starting April 1, 2023, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority will begin reviewing eligibility requirements for all SoonerCare members. Some may be at risk of losing SoonerCare coverage because their contact, employment, or income information is not up to date. 

To avoid unnecessary loss of health care insurance, all SoonerCare members should: 

  • Update their information with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority; 
  • Watch for mail and email with important enrollment information from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority; and 
  • Complete their SoonerCare renewal form, if they receive one. 

SoonerCare members who have questions or need assistance can visit mysoonercare.org or call 800-987-7767. 

Anyone who loses SoonerCare coverage and becomes uninsured can apply for health care through the health care marketplace at healthcare.gov. Additional assistance for finding health insurance can be found at myokplan.org or calling 833-465-7526

Additional background information about the changes in the health care coverage. 

  • Since January 2020, most SoonerCare members have been protected from losing health coverage by a “continuous coverage requirement.” This means members have been able to keep their coverage, even if they have outdated information with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), or if they are no longer eligible for coverage. 
    • The continuous coverage requirement was created as part of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. 
  • On April 1, 2023, SoonerCare rules will return to normal, meaning all members will again be subject to annual eligibility redeterminations. 
  • On April 1, 2023, SoonerCare will begin ending coverage for members who are deemed ineligible. Coverage termination will occur in phases throughout 2023. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority has said this could impact some 250,000 members.

– – – 

Los residentes de Oklahoma que utilizan SoonerCare deben tomar medidas para mantener su cobertura

Las normas están cambiando para SoonerCare, que proporciona seguro médico a muchos residentes de Oklahoma y a sus familias. 

A partir del 1 de abril de 2023, la Autoridad Sanitaria de Oklahoma empezará a revisar los requisitos de elegibilidad de todos los afiliados a SoonerCare. Algunos pueden correr el riesgo de perder la cobertura de SoonerCare porque su información de contacto, empleo o ingresos no está actualizada. 

Para evitar la pérdida innecesaria del seguro médico, todos los afiliados a SoonerCare deben: 

  • Actualizar su información con la Autoridad Sanitaria de Oklahoma; 
  • Estar atentos al correo postal y electrónico con información importante sobre la inscripción de la Autoridad Sanitaria de Oklahoma; y 
  • Rellenar su formulario de renovación de SoonerCare, si reciben uno. 

Los afiliados a SoonerCare que tengan preguntas o necesiten ayuda pueden visitar mysoonercare.org o llamar al 800-987-7767. 

Cualquier persona que pierda la cobertura de SoonerCare y se quede sin seguro puede solicitar un seguro médico a través del mercado de seguros médicos en healthcare.gov. Encontrará más ayuda para encontrar un seguro médico en myokplan.org o llamando al 833-465-7526

Información adicional sobre los cambios en la cobertura del seguro médico. 

  • Desde enero de 2020, la mayoría de los afiliados a SoonerCare están protegidos contra la pérdida de la cobertura del seguro médico por un “requisito de cobertura continua”. Esto significa que los afiliados han podido conservar su cobertura, incluso si tienen información obsoleta ante la Autoridad Sanitaria de Oklahoma (OHCA), o si ya no cumplen los requisitos para recibirla. 
    • El requisito de cobertura continua se creó como parte de la respuesta del gobierno federal a la emergencia de salud pública de COVID-19. 
  • El 1 de abril de 2023, las normas de SoonerCare volverán a la normalidad, lo que significa que todos los afiliados volverán a estar sujetos a redeterminaciones anuales de elegibilidad. 
  • El 1 de abril de 2023, SoonerCare empezará a poner fin a la cobertura de cualquier afiliado que no se considere elegible. La terminación de la cobertura ocurrirá en fases a lo largo de 2023. La Autoridad Sanitaria de Oklahoma ha dicho que esto podría afectar a unos 250,000 afiliados.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emma Morris worked as Oklahoma Policy Institute's Health Care and Fiscal Policy Analyst from April 2021 to January 2024. She had previously worked as an OK Policy intern and as the Health Care Policy Fellow. Previous experience included working as a case manager with justice-involved individuals and volunteering as a mentor for youth in her community. Emma holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Women’s and Gender Studies and Public and Nonprofit Administration from the University of Oklahoma, and is currently working on a Master of Public Administration degree from OU-Tulsa. She is an alumna of OK Policy’s 2019 Summer Policy Institute and The Mine, a social entrepreneurship fellowship.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.