ORS 413.249: United We Heal Medicaid Payment Program established; rules.

(1) The United We Heal Medicaid Payment Program is established in the Oregon Health Authority. The goal of the program is to increase the available behavioral health care workforce in this state through workforce recruitment and retention strategies. The authority shall provide supplemental medical assistance payments to eligible behavioral health care entities to enable the entities to access enhanced apprenticeship and training programs and opportunities, increased wages, health care benefits and workplace safety standards by participating in a labor-management training trust. (2) The authority shall prescribe by rule eligibility criteria for receiving the payments consistent with the goal of the program expressed in subsection (1) of this section. (3) To participate in the program, a behavioral health care entity shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the authority specifying how the entity will use the payments received under this section. Allowable uses of payments under this section must include enhanced opportunities for apprenticeships and on-the-job training, wraparound services, increased wages, health care benefits and workplace safety standards through participation in a labor-management training trust. The authority shall terminate payments if the entity fails to abide by or violates the terms of the memorandum of understanding. An entity may request a contested case proceeding to challenge a termination. [2024 c.70 §20; 2025 c.561 §2] (Temporary provisions relating to shortage of behavioral health treatment providers) Sec. 2. (1) The Oregon Health Authority shall contract with nurses and behavioral health professionals to provide care in adult and child residential behavioral health treatment facilities, opioid treatment programs, withdrawal management programs and sobering centers in this state to address staffing shortages at such facilities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) The authority shall seek any necessary approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to secure federal financial participation in the costs of contracts described in subsection (1) of this section if funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is unavailable. [2022 c.39 §2] Sec. 6. (2) Section 2 of this 2022 Act is repealed on January 2, 2027. [2022 c.39 §6(2)] HEALTH CARE PRACTICES (Health Improvement)