Health-related social needs support
What are health-related social needs?
Health-related social needs (HRSN) refer to social and economic needs that contribute to health and well-being. They include food security, transportation, interpersonal violence, education, income/employment, stable housing, social support, and utility assistance. When one or multiple of these needs are unmet, an individual can experience poor health outcomes.
What is the health-related social needs benefit?
As part of the state’s recent 1115 waiver, Oregon was approved to offer the new HRSN benefit. The HRSN benefit was developed to provide social support to Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members who are experiencing certain life transitions, to improve their health during this specific time. Some examples of qualifying life transitions may include:
- Involvement with the child welfare system
- Recently became eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare (within the past 9 months)
- Experiencing homelessness
- At risk for homelessness
- Released from jail, detention center, Oregon Youth Authority facility, prison, or the Oregon State Hospital within the past 12 months
The HRSN benefit will provide three types of support: housing, nutrition, and climate-related devices.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible members must meet all of the following 4 criteria:
1. Is a current OHP member.
2. Has a social health need:
- Food insecurity
- Housing instability or homelessness
- Climate-related needs
3. Has experienced at least one of the following:
- Youth involved with the child welfare system, including youth leaving foster care
- People experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness
- People released from custody or a residential behavioral health setting
- People transitioning from Medicaid-only to both Medicaid and Medicare coverage
- Youth ages 19-26 with special health care needs (starting 1/1/25)
4. Has a clinical health need, some examples include:
- Complex physical health needs
- Complex behavioral health needs
- Pregnancy
- Age (under 6, over 65)
- Repeated use of crisis services, such as the Emergency Department
- Needs assistance with Activities of Daily Living (e.g., personal hygiene, eating, dressing)
- Has experienced interpersonal violence or domestic violence
- Developmental disability
HRSN benefit categories
Climate benefit
- Air conditioners for individuals at health risk due to significant heat, including installation support as needed
- Air filtration devices for individuals at increased health risk due to compromised air quality
- Heaters for individuals at increased health risk due to significant cold
- Portable power supplies for powering medical devices
- Mini fridges for medications needing refrigeration
Additional eligibility criteria for climate benefit
1. They have a health condition that makes extreme heat, cold temperature, poor air
quality, or power outage particularly challenging or dangerous to you.
2. They are in one of these transitional groups:
- Become eligible for Medicare in addition to OHP in the next 3 months.
- Enrolled in Medicare in addition to OHP for the first time no more than 9 months ago.
- May be homeless soon, spend at least 50% of income on rent, live in a recreational vehicle (RV, trailer).
- Currently experiencing homelessness, don’t have a regular place to sleep, or are staying at someone else’s home.
- Received care in the Oregon State Hospital or a large substance use disorder residential treatment or withdrawal management program in the past 12 months.
- Released from a jail, detention center, Oregon Youth Authority facility, prison in the last 12 months.
- Involved with child welfare services in Oregon at some point in their life. This includes foster or substitute care, received adoption or guardianship assistance or family preservation services, or has been in court regarding child welfare.
3. Currently needs one of the above climate devices.
Requesting a climate device
If a member has Providence Health Assurance:
Housing supports
Housing isn't just about having a roof over your head. It affects your health in many ways, like how you feel physically, mentally, and socially. Having a safe and steady place to live is really important for people and communities to be healthy and do well. CareOregon helps our members who qualify find a stable home.
Housing support options and limits
Requests will be reviewed for appropriateness and some requests may not be funded. Exclusions include mortgage payments and payments related to the construction of new physical structures.
|
Support |
Limitations |
|---|---|
| Rent Support | Three to six months (depending on eligibility), available once every three years, including back rent |
| Utilities | No more than six (6) months, including any arrears, available once every three years |
| Home modifications | Available as needed to help medical conditions such as ramps, grip bars, cabinet handles |
| Home remediations | Availability varies. For methods or actions taken to address and fix issues or problems in a home. |
| Hotel stays | Up to three (3) months for members requiring home modification or home remediation who are unable to stay in their home while the service is being provided Available for up to six (6) months for duration of waiver |
| Storage fees | Up to six (6) months every three years |
Am I eligible for housing support?
To be eligible for a housing support:
- You must be a current member.
- You are not able to get the item/service through any other benefit or means.
- The item or service must help with a qualifying medical need or life situation.
- You provide all required documentation for your request.
Not all requested items or services are granted/funded. Our team evaluates each request on a case-by-case basis and makes the final funding determination. Please review our Social Needs Assistance Guidelines for more information about qualifying medical conditions and life situations and the commonly funded supports for each.
How do I request housing support?
- Send request online to 211info: Social Needs Request Form
- Call the 211info Coordination Center: 503-468-5375
- Housing Request Form (PDF)
- Email: hrsn@211info.org
- Fax: 503-214-8909
You can fill out and submit the form yourself, or with the help of a parent, a caregiver, or a guardian/support/trusted friend, or a staff member from an organization or clinic.
If you have questions or would like help filling out the request form(s), contact 211 at hrsn@211.org or 503-468-5375.