All Roll Calls
Yes: 114 • No: 1
OregonHB 40402026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
Relating to health care; and declaring an emergency.
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
19 provisions identified: 12 benefits, 5 costs, 2 mixed.
More parents qualify for paid care
Parents employed as direct support professionals or personal support workers can qualify for paid care for their child. This replaces the requirement to work for an agency rather than the child or the child's other parent. The child must have very high medical or behavioral needs, as assessed by Oregon's Department of Human Services. Participation remains subject to program rules and available funding.
Medical coverage around release from custody
Oregon suspends medical assistance during incarceration rather than ending it. The state must enroll eligible people for prerelease benefits when federal law allows them and federal matching funds are available. Eligible benefits must restart at release or during qualifying hospital care outside the facility. A correctional-facility designee can apply before release to establish eligibility.
More device coverage for physical activity
Covered individual and group plans must cover medically necessary prosthetic and orthotic devices suited to a patient's physical activities. Devices must be the most appropriate model for medical needs and support whole-body health, including limb function. Plans cannot deny activity-restoring devices for limb loss, impairment, or absence when they cover medical or surgical treatment restoring the same activity for someone without that condition. Public employee and educator plans are exempt unless their boards choose this coverage and notify state regulators.
Patients gain anesthesia time-limit protections
Covered Oregon policies must cover medically necessary anesthesia for covered procedures, regardless of how long the anesthesia lasts. Plans cannot deny payment or reimbursement solely because care exceeded a preset time limit. This requirement applies to policies issued, renewed, or extended on or after January 1, 2027.
Shorter care window for non-attending providers
The law removes the special 180-day service and temporary-disability approval authority for nurse practitioners and physician associates outside managed care organizations. Providers acting as non-attending providers instead face the general service limit: 30 days or 12 visits, whichever comes first. Their temporary-disability approvals follow the general rules for other providers.
Faster dental claims and direct payments
Beginning January 1, 2028, dental insurers must pay or deny complete, legible, properly documented claims within 45 days. Claims needing special handling that delays payment do not qualify as clean claims. Insurers needing more information must notify the provider and patient within 45 days, then decide within 45 days after receiving it. Provider contracts cannot waive these protections, and claim-completion instructions must be reasonably accessible. Insurers must pay dental providers directly for covered services rather than reimburse the insured person.
More paths to provide psilocybin services
Beginning January 1, 2027, psilocybin facilitator applicants no longer need proof of two years of Oregon residency. Out-of-state training qualifies when approved by that state's regulator and found by Oregon to meet or exceed Oregon standards. Occupational and physical therapists with facilitator licenses can provide preparation and integration sessions alongside health care. They can also provide administration sessions, but cannot provide health or behavioral health care during those sessions. Other facilitator licensing and service rules still apply.
Earlier retirement options for naturopathic doctors
Beginning January 1, 2027, retired naturopathic doctors can seek retired license status at age 65 instead of 70. They must meet board requirements and pay required fees. Doctors who are or will be 65 and retired in the next calendar year can also seek a continuing-education exemption. That exemption requires an application and evidence accepted by the board.
Injured workers keep job-return protections
Eligible injured workers keep reinstatement or reemployment rights when they refuse offered work without their attending physician's release. The rule applies to regular work and other offered employment. A nurse practitioner's release is no longer listed separately as an alternative.
More degrees qualify care facility administrators
Beginning January 1, 2027, residential care administrator applicants can meet the bachelor's-degree requirement with a degree in any field. The degree no longer needs to be in health or social services. Applicants must still meet the other age, training, fee, and exam requirements.
More supervisors for visiting dental students
Beginning January 1, 2027, qualifying full-time students in out-of-state dental programs have more options for supervised Oregon clinical studies. Indirect supervisors can come from any dental education program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, not just Oregon Health & Science University. The studies must be required or elective rotations and follow Oregon Board of Dentistry rules.
More Medicaid recipients advise Oregon
Medicaid recipients must hold at least 10% of advisory committee seats from the law's effective date through July 9, 2026. Their minimum share rises to 20% from July 10, 2026, through July 9, 2027; the temporary rule is repealed January 2, 2028. Beginning July 10, 2027, four recipients replace two, including someone with a disability and someone eligible under modified adjusted gross income rules. The health authority representative must manage the division administering medical assistance. Member terms increase from two years to three.
Limits on dental insurer refund demands
Beginning January 1, 2028, dental insurers generally must request refunds by the contract deadline or within 18 months, whichever comes first. Requests must be written or electronic and explain the reason; coordination-of-benefits requests must identify the primary payer and arrive within 45 days after payment. Providers generally have 30 days to object, and contested refunds cannot be demanded until six months after the request. Uncontested requests are accepted and payable within 30 days; insurers can offset unpaid amounts. Exceptions cover fraud, billing abuse, and legally responsible third parties that pay providers when insurers cannot recover directly.
Fewer hospital bills trigger aid screening
Hospitals must still screen uninsured patients and Oregon medical assistance enrollees for presumptive financial aid. For other patients, required screening starts when the amount owed for one hospital encounter exceeds $1,500, up from $500. Patients with smaller balances who do not belong to either protected group no longer trigger required screening based on their balance.
New safeguards for paid parent care
Oregon must add training, background checks, and oversight to its paid parent-care program. Rules must address training for parent providers, client children, and community developmental disability programs, and prevent duplicate payment for service hours. During paid one-on-one care, a parent cannot also be responsible for another person under age 10. Another caregiver must be immediately available at all times to meet that person's needs.
Closer-provider cap on worker travel costs
Outside managed care contracts, reimbursement for expenses to obtain attending-provider care is capped using a closer physician's cost. The comparison physician must have the same specialty and be in a medical community closer to the worker's home. The law removes separate nurse-practitioner references from this comparison.
Annual insulin affordability selection becomes optional
Oregon's Prescription Drug Affordability Board no longer has to select at least one insulin product each year. Insulin selection from the drug lists provided to the board becomes optional. The board can still identify up to nine drugs through its selection process. This change does not set insulin prices or guarantee lower patient costs.
Broader work-injury provider roles, revised rules
Qualifying Oregon-licensed nurse practitioners and physician associates, or similarly licensed providers elsewhere, can serve as attending providers when primarily treating a covered work injury. They can issue work releases affecting permanent disability awards; physician associates no longer face the former 180-day limit. Chiropractors and naturopathic doctors remain limited to 60 days or 18 visits. Revised physician-based rules replace separate nurse-practitioner references for provider choice, therapy approval, medical stability, treatment, temporary disability payment and verification, work releases, and medical evidence. Nurse practitioners must certify that they reviewed required materials before providing covered care or approving temporary disability; that requirement dates to October 1, 2004.
Changed legal rules for health plans
The law changes which insurance statutes apply to health care service contractors and multiple-employer welfare trusts. It extends ORS 743B.445 to both, subject to existing statutory limits. It repeals ORS 743B.221 and removes related references, plus a separate 2013 provision for health care service contractors. The supplied provisions do not explain these statutes' requirements or establish how household coverage or costs change.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
There is no primary sponsor on record.
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/5/2026
Third reading. Carried by Patterson. Passed.
Yes: 27 • No: 1
House vote • 3/3/2026
Third reading. Carried by Nosse. Passed.
Yes: 55 • No: 0
legislature vote • 2/27/2026
Ways and Means: Heard and Reported Out
Yes: 24 • No: 0
House vote • 2/12/2026
Health Care: Heard and Reported Out with Amendments
Yes: 8 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Chapter 109, (2026 Laws): Effective date April 7, 2026.
4/13/2026HouseGovernor signed.
4/7/2026HousePresident signed.
3/10/2026SenateSpeaker signed.
3/10/2026HouseThird reading. Carried by Patterson. Passed.
3/5/2026SenateSecond reading.
3/4/2026SenateRecommendation: Do pass the A-Eng. bill.
3/4/2026SenateReferred to Ways and Means.
3/3/2026SenateFirst reading. Referred to President's desk.
3/3/2026SenateThird reading. Carried by Nosse. Passed.
3/3/2026HouseSecond reading.
3/2/2026HouseRecommendation: Do pass.
2/27/2026HouseWork Session held.
2/27/2026HouseReturned to Full Committee.
2/25/2026HouseWork Session held.
2/25/2026HouseAssigned to Subcommittee On Human Services.
2/18/2026HouseReferred to Ways and Means by order of Speaker.
2/16/2026HouseRecommendation: Do pass with amendments, be printed A-Engrossed, and be referred to Ways and Means.
2/16/2026HouseWork Session held.
2/12/2026HousePublic Hearing held.
2/10/2026HousePublic Hearing held.
2/5/2026HouseReferred to Health Care.
2/2/2026HouseFirst reading. Referred to Speaker's desk.
2/2/2026House
Bill Text
HHC Amendment -11 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -12 (Proposed)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -13 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -14 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -15 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -16 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -17 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -19 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -24 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -25 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -3 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -30 (Proposed)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -32 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -33 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -34 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -35 (Proposed)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -36 (Adopted)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -6 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -7 (Combined)
2/12/2026
HHC Amendment -27 (Proposed)
2/10/2026
HHC Amendment -10 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -11 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -13 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -14 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -15 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -16 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -17 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -18 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -19 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -21 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -3 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -6 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -7 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -8 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
HHC Amendment -9 (Proposed)
2/5/2026
A-Engrossed
Enrolled
House Amendments to Introduced
Introduced
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