Brightside Responds to CareOregon Behavioral Healthcare Network Change

On July 31, 2025, CareOregon notified behavioral health professionals that they would no longer reimburse out of network providers for a range of services (See the announcement here). Despite CareOregon's claims, we believe this change will have a significant impact on access to behavioral health care for Oregon Health Plan members in Oregon.

Impacted providers and members have been given 2-months to find new in-network providers. For anyone remotely familiar with the challenges of finding a qualified behavioral healthcare provider in Oregon, we do not have to explain that finding a new provider, if there is one available, in a two-month window is extremely challenging.

Furthermore, this change will have a significant impact on the financial security of many healthcare professionals in Oregon who are currently serving our Oregon Health Plan members. In a survey of Brightside members, we found:

1. 45 providers in our community servicing more than 290 OHP members who will have to refer their clients out.

2. of 35 members responding to our survey, half reported that they will lose 50% of more of their patient load as a result of this policy change.

Access to services will be impacted by new CareOregon Policy

To address these concerns, Brightside is actively seeking intervention on this issue with members of our legislature and Governor Kotek. Based on the collected input from our impacted members, we have prepared the following goals:

Good Goal: Minimize Client Disruption through Transitional Support

Ensure CareOregon clients experience as little interruption as possible in their mental health care.

• Timeline extension to be pushed beyond October 1 for CareOregon OHP clients and January 1 for CareOregon Medicare Advantage clients offboarding.

• CareOregon to provide clearer guidance to impacted clinicians on single-case agreements, continuity-of-care authorizations, and emergency referrals.

• Request accurate and specialty-based referral directories that make it easier for clients to connect with appropriate care.

Better Goal: Reopen Contracting Pathways for Qualified Independent Providers

Restore access to CareOregon clients by re-establishing a way for current independent clinicians to become in-network contractors.

• Seek exceptions for providers already serving CareOregon clients.

• Allow provider input in decision-making around policy changes affecting access to care.

Best Goal: Create a Sustainable, Client-Centered Independent Provider Network

Build a long-term, values-driven system that allows independent providers to serve clients without compromising care quality or professional sustainability.

• Allow provider input in decision-making around policy changes affecting access to care.

• CareOregon to re-open closed panels and create a transparent, timely process for credentialing.

• Lead or collaborate on system-level reform efforts that center equity, transparency, and clinician sustainability in Oregon’s Medicaid behavioral health landscape.

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Brightside Coworking, Inc is a Co-working office space with facilities specifically designed to support behavioral and wellness professionals. Based in Portland, Oregon with three offices, Brightside currently has over 200 members serving our community's health and wellness needs. For more information, visit our website: https://www.brightsidespace.com