Residents of Bethany, Cedar Mill, Oak Hills and West Haven-Sylvan who rely on the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) could face new work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks that state officials warn will cause some to lose coverage.

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) interim director Fariborz Pakseresht told the Oregon Senate Health Care Committee on Thursday, Sept. 10, that the 2025 federal tax and spending law will cost the state nearly $1.3 billion in Medicaid funding over the next four years. The agency projects a $421 million deficit in the 2025-27 budget cycle and an $868 million gap in the 2027-29 cycle, the Beaverton Valley Times reported.

"Even with our best work, there are going to be people who lose coverage," Pakseresht told lawmakers.

Researchers at Princeton University estimate about 200,000 Oregonians will lose Medicaid coverage as the law takes effect. More than 1.4 million Oregonians are enrolled in OHP, which covers roughly one in three residents statewide.

OHA plans to notify 600,000 Oregonians by late September about new requirements to prove they complete 80 hours per month of work, volunteering or education. The requirements apply to adults aged 19 to 64. Parents or caregivers of children under 14 and people with severe medical conditions are exempt.

For new OHP applicants, work requirements take effect in January 2027. Existing members generally will not face them until their next renewal, The Oregonian reported. Beginning in September 2027, people subject to the rules will have their eligibility checked every six months instead of every two years.

Most Washington County OHP members are assigned Health Share of Oregon as their coordinated care organization (CCO), according to Washington County's OHP page.

OHA spokesperson Amy Bacher told The Oregonian the agency has trained more than 1,200 staff to help members navigate the changes. OHA said it is also upgrading technology so enrollees can upload payroll documents for faster verification.

The federal law also stripped Medicaid eligibility from certain legal immigrants, including refugees, asylees and survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking. By October, about 7,000 people in those categories will be moved to Oregon's Healthier Oregon program, which uses state funds to cover residents who no longer qualify for federal Medicaid.

Earlier in 2026, state officials allocated about $110 million to the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) to hire additional eligibility review staff. OHA Medicaid deputy director Vivian Levy told the committee that federal officials have cast doubt on states' ability to delay the work requirements through a "good faith" waiver.

Sen. Deb Patterson, a Salem Democrat who chairs the committee, questioned the federal government's stance at the Sept. 10 hearing. "One would think that good faith would go both ways," Patterson said.

Washington County residents with OHP questions can contact Washington County Behavioral Health at 503-846-4528.