Will people need a booster dose or third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?
The CDC and FDA now recommend third doses or booster doses for everyone age 12 and above. An additional booster of the Pfizer vaccine is also available for people age 50 and above. OHA has detailed information about third/booster doses, which you can find here.
Can members get a home test for COVID-19 at the pharmacy?
Home tests for COVID-19 are now available for all members of CareOregon Medicaid.
These tests let you take your own sample and get results in 10-15 minutes. You can get up to eight tests every 30 days.
You don’t need a prescription for most home COVID-19 tests. Go to a pharmacy in our network, show them your Health Share/CareOregon Member ID card, and your home COVID-19 test will be fully covered. (To find a pharmacy in our network, click here.) Many brands of home tests are fully covered, but not all. See our formulary for details.
If you paid out of pocket for tests, we may be able to reimburse you. Please use this form. Include your receipt(s) with your submission, but no prescription details are required. We can reimburse up to $12 per test.
CareOregon also covers home tests from non-pharmacy providers such as clinics, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and more.
If you have questions about home COVID-19 tests, please contact Customer Service at 800-224-4840 or TTY 711.
For most up to date guidance on what to do with your test results, please check the CDC website.
What should I do if I test positive for COVID-19?
OHA suggests these steps if you test positive for COVID-19:
- Stay home and stay away from others, including the people in your own household.
- If you’re sick:
- Isolate for five days from when you started feeling sick.
- Take care of yourself.
- Call your clinic or provider if your symptoms get worse.
- Whether or not you feel sick or have symptoms, isolate for five days from the day you tested positive.
- If you still have a fever or other symptoms after the first five days, keep isolating from others.
- If you have no fever or symptoms at the end of five days of isolating, you can be around other people. But make sure any fever or symptoms are gone for 24 hours, without the help of medicine, before you’re around other people.
- Even after the first five days of isolating, wear a well-fitting mask for five more days when you’re around others. The mask should ideally be a KN-95 mask or better.
For more details, visit OHA’s positive COVID-19 test webpage at oregon.gov/positivecovidtest.
What should I do if I think I might have COVID-19?
If you have symptoms or need immediate care, please call your primary care provider. If you don’t have symptoms but have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, the COVID-19 Case Support Hotline may be able to help. You can call the hotline at 866-917-8881.
What happens to Oregon Health Plan (OHP) coverage after COVID-19? How long will COVID-19 be considered an official “Public Health Emergency”?
Near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government labeled it an official Public Health Emergency (PHE). When this happened, the normal yearly checks to confirm people still qualify for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) were put on hold.
At least two months before the end of the PHE, Oregon will be notified that the PHE will not be extended. Once that happens, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will need to start the process of “redetermination.” This means they will need to confirm that all OHP members still qualify for Medicaid coverage. This process has not started yet. When it does, OHA will send letters on a rolling basis when it’s time to renew so you will be notified if you need to fill out new paperwork. They will ask members to send proof of certain details (e.g., how much money they make) or to confirm other information. Visit the OHA website for more details.
Where can I find other resources or information about the vaccines?
Unless otherwise stated, all of the following materials are in PDF format so they can be easily downloaded and/or printed.
- Vaccine champion card: Encourage members to share their experience getting vaccinated and sign up for the CDC’s v-safe program (detailed instructions here): English | Spanish | Chinese | Russian | Vietnamese
- CareOregon: COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective: English | Spanish | Chinese | Russian | Vietnamese
- CareOregon: Implementing Trauma-Informed Care At Vaccine Clinics
- CareOregon: COVID-19 vaccine transportation resources
- CareOregon: How to request an interpreter
- CareOregon: Vaccine information and resources guide
- CareOregon: Core questions for vaccine site logistics (Microsoft Word document)
- CareOregon: COVID presentation for community-based organizations (Microsoft PowerPoint presentation)
- Health Share of Oregon: COVID-19 vaccine facts and myths webinar recording
- Columbia Pacific CCO: Equity toolkit offering strategic approaches to support equitable vaccine distribution
- Columbia Pacific CCO: Mobile COVID-19 vaccination frequently asked questions
- OHA: Resources for parents, guardians and people under 18
- OHA: FAQ for parents with 5- to 11-year-olds: English
- OHA FAQ for parents and youth 12-17: English | Spanish
- OHA: Fast Facts: COVID-19 Booster Doses: English | Spanish
- OHA: COVID-19 Booster Dose FAQs: English | Spanish
- OHA: Booster Doses for Immuno-compromised people: English | Spanish
- OHA: COVID-19 vaccine page for providers
- OHA: COVID-19 funding for community-based organizations
- OHA: Where can I get my COVID-19 vaccine? English | Spanish
- OHA: What to know before you get vaccinated: English | Spanish
- OHA: COVID-19 vaccine facts: English | Spanish
- OHA: Information on the Get Vaccinated tool: English | Spanish
- OHA: Johnson & Johnson vaccine information for religious communities:
- OHA: Why get the vaccine? English | Spanish
- OHA: Vaccine communications toolkit for people with underlying conditions: English | Spanish
- OHA: Johnson & Johnson vaccine fact sheet: English | Spanish
- OHA: Johnson & Johnson vaccine FAQ: English | Spanish
- OHA: Safe & Strong COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit communications guide for community-based organizations: English | Spanish
- OHA: ASL for D/HOH & DB page
- CDC: Vaccine facts: English | Spanish
- CDC: Tracking your health after a vaccine: English
- Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties:
- How the COVID-19 vaccines were developed: English | Spanish
- How the COVID-19 vaccines protect you: English | Spanish
- Diversity in COVID-19 vaccine studies: English | Spanish
- You were vaccinated for COVID-19. What now? English | Spanish
- For access to these materials in other languages, click here.
- Johnson & Johnson vaccine fact sheet
- Video: How the COVID-19 vaccine works: English | Spanish
- Video: Why you should get a COVID-19 vaccine: English | Spanish
- OHSU: Inclusive language guide
- OHSU: COVID-19 vaccination clinic implementation toolkit
- Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington: Woven with Elders, a vaccination toolkit created for and by Pacific Islanders
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: COVID-19 public education campaign
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: COVID-19 Community Corps
- Janssen: Required fact sheet for Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients and caregivers: English | Spanish