Oregon Health Care Provider Loan Repayment
Oregon Health Care Provider Incentive Loan Repayment (OAR 409-036) was established by the Oregon Legislature to help support underserved communities in their recruitment and retention of high quality providers who serve patients regardless of their source of coverage (Medicaid, Medicare, private etc.) or ability to pay. In exchange for service at a qualifying practice site, participants receive funds to repay qualifying educational loan debt.
The Oregon Health Authority’s Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative (BHWi) is now administering the loan repayment program for health care providers who are working in mental and behavioral health. If you are an MD, DO, PA, NP, DNP working in mental or behavioral health, or an LSCW, LMFT, QMHA, QMHP, or a provider working on hours towards licensure, you will now need to apply with the BHWI program. The Oregon Health Care Provider Incentive Loan Repayment Program is not accepting application from providers working in mental and behavioral health. If you have any questions relating to loan repayment for mental and behavioral health providers, please contact BHWi at BH.WorkforceInitiative@dhsoha.state.or.us.
If you are a health care provider that works in physical or dental health you may be eligible for the Oregon Health Care Provider Incentive Loan Repayment Program. Please the information below on eligible provider types and practice site requirements.
- Dentists in general or pediatric practice;
- Expanded Practice Dental Hygienists;
- Pharmacists;
- Physicians (MD, DO or ND) 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;
- Physician Assistants who practice in the specialties of family medicine or general practice, general internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics or obstetrics and gynecology;
Providers must be providing primary care in an outpatient setting at a qualified Oregon practice site.
To qualify a 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
- Provides 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.
Site Applications are valid for one year.
In exchange for service at a qualified practice site, participants receive funds to repay qualifying loan debt. Awards are calculated based on the balance owed on qualifying loans upon application to Health Care Provider Incentive Loan Repayment .
Full time service providers must commit to a 3 year minimum service obligation in exchange for a tax free award of 70% of their qualifying educational loan debt balance, up to $50,000 per obligation year. Full time providers with less than $29,000 in qualifying loan debt are eligible to receive up to 100% of qualifying loan debt, not to exceed the lesser of their total qualifying loan amount or $20,000, in exchange for a 3 year service obligation.
Part time service providers must commit to a 3 year minimum service obligation in exchange for a tax free award of 35% of their qualifying educational loan debt balance, up to $25,000 per obligation year. Part time providers with less than $15,000 in qualifying loan debt are eligible to receive up to 100% of qualifying loan debt, not to exceed the lesser of their total qualifying loan amount or $10,000, in exchange for a 3 year service obligation.
Please read our FAQs before filling out an application.
Provider Application
Application Deadline
Completed Oregon Health Care Provider Loan Repayment applications, and all required attachments, must be submitted no later than Noon (Pacific Time) on January 25th, 2024. Applications received after Noon (Pacific Time) on January 25th, 2024, or applications that are deemed to be incomplete on that date, will be rolled over to the next review cycle.
Eligible providers are highly encouraged to apply as early in the cycle as possible to allow time for information requests from ORH. The next review cycle opens January 26th, 2024 and closes at Noon (Pacific Time) on April 18th, 2024.
Handwritten applications will not be reviewed. Applicants must use the new digital Provider Application found here.
If a provider applies to a cycle and is not chosen for an award they may request their application to be rolled over to the next review cycle. Providers wishing to roll over their application to the next review cycle are required to email ORH Workforce Services with their request along with updated educational loan documentation dated within 30 days of the request as well as any updates to FTE status, practice site location, duties, or employment contract language.
Contact
Workforce Services | 503-494-4450 | toll-free 866-674-4376
Oregon Health Care Provider Loan Repayment FAQs
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