Salem, Oregon – For Oregonians who depend on help at home, receiving care often involves more than finding someone to provide it. Hiring workers, arranging schedules, meeting training requirements and preparing for unexpected absences can create additional responsibilities for people already managing daily support needs.
A new statewide program aims to make that process easier. It gives eligible Medicaid recipients another way to arrange in-home services while receiving assistance with the practical work of managing caregivers.
Oregon has introduced Agency with Choice, a new service option established under House Bill 4129. The program serves eligible individuals receiving Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports through the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
Through Agency with Choice, participants can receive assistance with recruiting care providers, completing required training, organizing schedules and supervising workers. The program also helps individuals arrange backup care when their usual provider is unavailable.
The option expands the existing range of Home and Community Based Services available through ODHS’s Office of Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) and OHA’s Behavioral Health Division.
“Agency with Choice builds on Oregon’s commitment to honoring the preferences of older adults and people with disabilities,” said APD Director Nakeshia Knight, Ph.D.
“It joins a broad continuum of long‑term care options designed to help people receive the right level of support in the way that works best for them.”
Under APD, the program is available to adults 60 and older and people with disabilities who are at least 18. Participants must qualify for Medicaid long-term services and supports through APD and choose to receive assistance in their own homes.
APD has already sent letters explaining the new arrangement to individuals currently eligible for these services. Officials emphasized that existing in-home care options remain unchanged.
The OHA portion serves individuals with mental health conditions who qualify for Medicaid-funded personal care services.
Eligible people of any age may participate through the State Plan Personal Care program. Another pathway is available through the 1915(i) Home and Community Based Services program for individuals 21 and older.
That pathway has additional requirements. Participants must have a current serious mental illness diagnosis, need help with at least two instrumental activities of daily living and require at least one qualifying 1915(i) service every month.
Rather than operating the service directly, the state selected GT Independence as its Agency with Choice contractor. The company was chosen through a competitive procurement process managed through OregonBuys.
With the program’s introduction, eligible residents now have another option for organizing the care they receive at home, without losing access to the state’s previously available in-home service arrangements.
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