Health Care Provider Incentive Program Overview
Background
In 2017, the Oregon Legislature approved House Bill 3261, establishing the Healthcare Provider Incentive Fund within the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to support access to care for underserved communities throughout Oregon. The Fund created the Health Care Provider Incentive Program (HCPIP), which offers various incentives to both students and providers who commit to serving patients in underserved areas of the state, including the:
- Health Care Provider Incentive Loan Repayment Program
- Primary Care Loan Forgiveness
- Rural Insurance Subsidy
- Scholarships focused on workforce development
Updates and Announcements
OHA is now accepting grant applications from organizations that offer training opportunities for students interested in health care career paths. Awarded organizations will receive the funding and create their own scholarship program for distribution to their students:
- Health Care Workforce Scholarship, formerly "SHOI-Like", funds scholarships at post-secondary education health care training programs.
- Health Care Workforce Pathways Scholarship is a new scholarship for high school and middle school students participating in health care training programs.
See below for additional information on the scholarships included in HCPIP.
Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program
The Health Care Provider Incentive Loan Repayment Program helps support underserved communities in their recruitment and retention of high-quality providers in rural and underserved areas of Oregon. In exchange for service at a qualifying practice site, participants receive funds to repay qualifying student loan debt. Awards are calculated based on the balance owed on qualifying loans upon program entry.
NEW Summer 2024
- Provider eligibility requirements have expanded to include Dental Assistants and Dental Therapists
- HCPIP now includes the Behavioral Health Loan Repayment program. This expands provider eligibility requirements to include certain licensed and pre-licensed behavioral health provider types.
Apply Today!
Applications are accepted and reviewed on a quarterly basis. Visit the
ORH Loan Repayment Website to learn more:
Eligible Provider Types:
- Physicians (MD, DO, or ND) who practice in family medicine or general practice, general internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, or obstetrics and gynecology;
- Pharmacists;
- Oral health providers:
- Dentists in general or pediatric practice;
- Expanded Practice Dental Hygienists;
- Dental Assistants and Dental Therapists;
- Physician Assistants who practice in the specialties of family medicine or general practice, general internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics or obstetrics and gynecology;
- Nurse Practitioners who practice in the specialties of adult primary care, women's health care, geriatrics, pediatrics, family practice, or nurse midwifery;
- Licensed and pre-licensed Behavioral Health Providers, including:
- Pre-licensed behavioral health providers working towards licensure hours;
- Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC I, CADC II, and CADC II);
- Licensed or pre-licensed mental & behavioral providers working in an inpatient setting;
- Licensed or pre-licensed mental & behavioral providers who see patients in nontraditional settings (in camps, at homes, or other community settings);
- Qualified Mental Health Associates (QMHA);
- Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHP)
Qualifying Practice Sites
To qualify, as site must:
Be located in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), or have a Facility HSPA; OR
Be serving Medicaid and Medicare patients in no less than the same proportion of such patients in the county; OR
Provide essential health care services to an underserved population, as determined by the Authority; AND
Have a Site Application on file with the Oregon Office of Rural Health and have received confirmation of site qualification.
Primary Care Loan Forgiveness
Primary Care Loan Forgiveness (PCLF) is an incentive for students participating in approved rural training tracks to receive funding during their education in exchange for a future service obligation in a rural or frontier area in Oregon. PCLF participants receive loan forgiveness funds during their education, and must contract with an approved practice site within 90 days of graduation (or completion of residency). Participants are required to practice at an approved site for the life of their obligation, which is one obligation year for every year of funding.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for PCLF students must:
Be in good academic standing; AND
Be participating in the Oregon AHEC Scholars Program or accepted to an approved Oregon rural training track; AND
Be prepared to begin practice in primary care at an approved rural practice site within 90 days of graduation or completion of residency (if applicable)
Rural Medical Practitioners Insurance Subsidy
The purpose of the Rural Insurance Subsidy is to support and stabilize the health care workforce in rural and frontier areas of Oregon by providing partial payments to authorized medical professional liability insurance carriers on behalf of health care providers in rural Oregon who otherwise would have to pay the full cost of malpractice insurance themselves.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible providers must:
- Be a Physician (M.D., D.O,) or Nurse Practitioner; AND
- Practice in an eligible rural or frontier area; AND
- Are covered by an eligible insurance carrier; AND
- Agree to see Medicaid and Medicare patients in no less than the same proportion of such patients in the county or other service area; AND
- Do not receive malpractice insurance through their employer or have to repay their employer for coverage.
Coverage Percentages
The subsidy coverage a percentage of a provider's malpractice insurance based on their area of practice as follows:
- 80% Obstetrics
- 60% Family or general practice that includes obstetrical services
- 40% Anesthesiology, family practice or general practice without obstetrics, general surgery, geriatrics, internal medicine, pediatrics, or pulmonary medicine
- 15% All other specialties
ENROLL TODAY! More information about reimbursement, benefits, and contact information can be found on the
Office of Rural Health's Insurance Subsidy webpage.
Scholarships
Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative (SHOI)
The Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative (SHOI) covers full tuition and applicable fees for a limited number of eligible students entering specific clinical degree programs at OHSU. Recipients commit to practicing in rural or medically underserved communities in Oregon for a minimum of one year longer than the total years of funding provided.
Health Care Workforce Scholarship
Health Care Workforce Scholarship, formerly known as Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative-Like (SHOI-Like) Scholarship, provides funding for health professional training programs at institutions of higher education. Training programs that receive funding will develop an application and distribution process for awarded students in partnership with OHA staff.
Health Care Workforce Pathways Scholarship
Health Care Workforce Pathways Scholarship provides funding for Oregon’s secondary education, Career and Technical Education (CTE), training programs, and other health-related workforce programs for students between 8th -12th grade. Training programs that receive funding will develop an application and distribution process for awarded students in partnership with OHA staff.
The Health Care Retention Scholarship will support the expansion of Oregon's health care workforce throughout Oregon by funding recertification and advancement opportunities to enhance the retention capacity and diversity of the workforce that provides care for underserved populations in both rural and non-rural areas.
Additional information will be posted in Fall of 2024.
HCPIP Fund Evaluation
House Bill 3261 (2017) requires OHPB, through OHA and its partners, to collect and analyze data on participants in Oregon’s various financial incentive programs to understand the effectiveness of these investments. OHA submits a report with this information to the Oregon Legislature every two years, with the next report due in early 2025. Past reports are listed below:
2025
-
Coming soon in January 2025
2023
Contact Us
For questions or additional information, please contact:
Oregon Health Authority
Oregon Office of Rural Health