Time is almost up for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans weighing a switch in their Medicaid coverage. The SoonerSelect open-enrollment window closes June 12, giving nearly 600,000 members a last chance to review or change their health or dental plans. The managed-care program keeps the same SoonerCare-covered services in place but layers on plan-specific extras like wellness incentives, vaccine rewards and educational programs. Members who are happy with what they have now do not need to do anything before the deadline.
According to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the May 1–June 12 enrollment period affects nearly 600,000 SoonerSelect members and lets eligible participants change their health plan, their dental plan or both. In a May 1 release, the agency pointed members to plan benefit guides and a value-added benefits comparison to help sort through the choices. The announcement, signed by OHCA public information officer Rebecca Sheppard, urges anyone who wants to make a change to do it before June 12.
How To Change Your Plan
Members can switch plans online through their plan’s member portal or by calling a choice counselor for step-by-step help. For example, Aetna and Humana walk members through both the portal and phone options in their enrollment materials. Humana’s information notes that members can call OHCA’s Choice Helpline at 1-800-987-7767 (Option 5) for live assistance and that some new enrollees have a 90-day window to switch plans.
Which Plans You Can Pick
Health plans offered through SoonerSelect include Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma, Humana Healthy Horizons in Oklahoma and Oklahoma Complete Health. Dental options include DentaQuest and Liberty Dental Plan. Those plan names, contact numbers and benefit guides are listed by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. If members do not choose a plan, the state will keep them in their current plan or assign one according to OHCA’s enrollment rules.
Extra Benefits To Compare
Plans differ in the extra perks they throw in. Aetna advertises benefits such as health coaching and a $25 over-the-counter monthly allowance, while Humana promotes rewards programs and maternal supports for new parents. Members are encouraged to look closely at each carrier’s benefit guides and extra-benefits charts to see which offerings best fit their needs before the enrollment window closes. Local coverage from News On 6 has also highlighted the deadline and urged members to act soon.
