In 2011, the Oregon Legislature passed landmark legislation (House Bill 3650). It defined Oregon's approach to health care reform by:
- Establishing a public process to inform the development of an integrated and coordinated health care delivery system.
- Mandating the development and implementation of a plan to integrate community health workers, personal health navigators, and peer support and peer wellness specialists, and birth doulas (referred to collectively as Traditional Health Workers) into Oregon's Health System Transformation process.
Oregon's health system transformation and the federal Affordable Care Act have emphasized the essential role of Traditional Health Workers in promoting health and delivering care. In 2012, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) convened a committee tasked with developing administrative rules governing certification and registry enrollment pathways for the traditional health workforce.
Health System Integration and Deployment Rules
House Bill 3650 (2011) authorizes coordinated care organizations to provide members with access to Traditional Health Workers.
Traditional Health Worker Commission
House Bill 3407 (2013) created the Traditional Health Worker Commission. Three subcommittees of the Commission were established to embrace the voice of the entire community: Systems integration (SI), Scope of Practice (SOP), and Training Education Metrics & Program Scoring (TEMPS).
House Bill 2024 (2015) requires OHA, in consultation with coordinated care organizations and dental care organizations in the state, to adopt rules and procedures for the training and certification of health workers to provide oral disease prevention services provided by certified health workers.
Traditional Health Worker Oregon Administrative Rules
Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 950-060-0000 is the set of administrative rules that establishes the criteria, description, and training requirements for Traditional Health Workers.
State Plan Amendment
Supports the use of Community Health Workers, Peer Health Navigators and Peer Wellness Specialists. It adds Traditional Health Workers to the Medicaid State Plan.