CORE selected to evaluate Oregon's ContraceptiveCare program
- The Oregon Health Authority has selected Providence CORE to support the evaluation of the next phase of Oregon's ContraceptiveCare program.
- CCare covers family planning services such as contraception for Oregonians who meet certain eligibility requirements.
- Oregon is implementing changes to the program, including 24-month continuous coverage and a new transportation benefit.
- CORE will design and implement an evaluation using Medicaid claims data, surveys, and qualitative data to assess whether the program meets several key goals.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has selected the Providence Center for Outcomes Research and Education (CORE) to design and implement an evaluation of Oregon's ContraceptiveCare (CCare) program. CCare aims to improve the health and well-being of children and families by covering family planning services such as contraception for eligible Oregonians with incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) who are not enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan or the Children's Health Insurance Program. The selection of CORE builds on our past and current work to study innovations and other elements of Oregon's Medicaid program, the Oregon Health Plan.
CCare is made possible through a federal 1115(a) Medicaid waiver, a tool that allows states to test new components or approaches to their Medicaid programs. Every 1115 waiver must be evaluated by an independent party such as CORE. As part of the latest waiver, which extends through 2028, the state is expanding elements of CCare, including offering 24-month continuous coverage (increased from 12 months) and a new transportation benefit to help patients get to their appointments. CORE will evaluate these and other components of the program, providing data to help determine if it is meeting its goals and to help shape future CCare strategies.
"We're proud to support the Oregon Health Authority in evaluating the CCare program," said Hannah Cohen-Cline, program director at CORE. "This project is a great opportunity to build on our previous work studying Oregon's Medicaid initiatives and to help advance innovative healthcare solutions that increase reproductive autonomy and deliver better reproductive health outcomes."
In the project's first phase, CORE will develop a plan for evaluating CCare with specific measures and evaluation questions. OHA will submit that plan to CMS for approval. Once approved, CORE will begin implementing the evaluation, using research tools like surveys and interviews and looking at administrative data such as health care claims data. The project extends through 2030.
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