CareOregon Advantage: Here for you through COVID-19 and beyond

CareOregon Advantage knows that you, our members, have many questions about COVID-19. We want to help you understand how to take precautions and how to access your benefits during this time. Health care providers are working hard to continue seeing patients, and your health is important to them.

COVID-19 vaccine resources

You may have heard the good news — the FDA has approved multiple vaccines for emergency use. Studies have shown these vaccines are safe and effective. You may have questions about the vaccine. Here is what we know now: 

In this section, you’ll find answers to these questions:

• What are the best places to find up-to-date information about the COVID-19 vaccine?
• Am I eligible for the vaccine?
• How do I schedule a vaccination?
• What should I do before and after I get the vaccine?
• Is the vaccine safe and effective?
• Where can I find other resources or information about the vaccines?

What are the best places to find up-to-date information about the COVID-19 vaccine?

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer up-to-date information on the COVID-19 vaccines. You can find their public COVID-19 vaccine pages here:

• OHA: covidvaccine.oregon.gov
• CDC: cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19

You can also call 211 or TTY 711 for the latest information, or text “ORVAX” to 898211 for live text help in English or Spanish.

Am I eligible for the vaccine?

Everyone age 16 and over is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

How do I schedule a vaccination?

There are multiple ways to make an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine:

• Click here to visit the OHA’s vaccine locator.
• Visit vaccines.gov.
• Schedule a vaccine appointment at the Oregon Convention Center. The Convention Center is also open for walk-in appointments.
• The federal government is distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to retail pharmacies in Oregon. Supplies are limited, and demand is high. Contact your local pharmacy for details on how to schedule an appointment: 
  • Albertson’s
  • Bi-Mart
  • Costco
  • CVS
  • Fred Meyer
  • Health Mart
  • Rite-Aid
  • Safeway
  • Walgreens
  • Walmart
• You can also find information specific to your county at the following websites:
  • Clackamas County
  • Clatsop County
  • Columbia County
  • Jackson County
  • Multnomah County
  • Tillamook County
  • Washington County: English | Spanish

If you have any questions about the vaccine related to your unique health condition, please contact your provider – they know your health best.

Many people are trying to find information right now, so please understand that wait times or website load times may be longer than normal.

What should I do before and after I get the vaccine?

• Have food and water beforehand.
• Wear clothes that allow you to remove or pull down your sleeve, in order to get the vaccine in your upper arm.
• Wear a face covering.
• Be sure to bring your red, white and blue Medicare card so the vaccine provider can bill Medicare. You’ll need your Medicare card even if you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan.
• After you receive the vaccine, you will need to wait for 30 minutes for monitoring.
• The whole appointment should take between 30 to 60 minutes.
• The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are given in two doses. The first shot helps your immune system recognize the virus, and the second strengthens the immune response.
• For those vaccines, ask about your second shot when you get the first shot.
• The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is given in a single dose.
• You will likely not have your choice of vaccine. Decisions about which vaccines are given to whom are based on availability.
• It takes time for your body to build immunity after your shot. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after your single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Is the vaccine safe and effective?

The FDA has approved multiple vaccines for emergency use. These vaccines are safe and effective.

• All emergency-approved COVID-19 vaccines had large-scale clinical trials. Tens of thousands of people received the vaccines during these trials — far more participants than were tested in most trials.
• Trial participants came from a range of diverse backgrounds.
• The FDA approved the vaccines for emergency use, after a careful review of the trial data.
• There were no serious safety issues found during any of the vaccine trials.
• The vaccines currently available are Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
• Regarding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine: According to the CDC, “CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine resume in the United States, after a temporary pause…A review of all available data this time shows that the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks. However, women younger than 50 years old especially should be aware of the rare but increased risk of [thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome…which involves blood clots with low platelets] and that there are other COVID-19 vaccine options available for which the risk has not been seen.” According to the OHA, “All three approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective. With three vaccines now available, Oregonians should get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Where can I find other resources or information about the vaccines?

The following materials are all in PDF format, so they can be easily downloaded and/or printed.

• CareOregon Advantage: COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective: English | Spanish | Chinese | Russian | Vietnamese
• 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:
  • For the Muslim community: English
  • For the Jewish community: English
  • For the Christian community: English
  • Verdades sobra las vacunas contra el COVID-19 para comunidades religiosas: Español
• OHA: Why get the vaccine? English | Spanish
• 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.
• Video: How the COVID-19 vaccine works: English | Spanish
• Video: Why you should get a COVID-19 vaccine: English | Spanish
• OHSU: Inclusive language guide
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: COVID-19 public education campaign

Keep getting the care you need

• Clinics are working hard to get you the care you need. Your primary care provider and the clinical teams in our network want to make sure you have access to physical, dental and mental health care and substance use treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinics are providing options including:
• Telephone and video appointments for new clients and ongoing services.
• In-person appointments, taking precautions to keep you and clinic staff safe.
• For help learning the basics of technology to help you with phone and video appointments, download our short guide: English | Spanish | Chinese | Russian | Vietnamese
• Call your primary care clinic to discuss your options. They will tell you what services are available, how you can see your provider and the best way to get care.
• Preventive and chronic care is especially important, and clinics are prepared to serve you. Contact your clinic to determine the best way to get care.
• Immunizations are vital, especially for kids under 2.
• Chronic condition care is more important than ever. Call your provider to manage your diabetes, asthma, substance use treatment or other conditions.
• For mental health and substance use treatment services, contact your clinic directly about how to get your needed supports. Many providers are holding appointments by phone or video, though some in-person visits are still available for those who need them.
• We know this is a difficult time. You are not alone. There are mental health and substance use treatment services available to you. Call us at 888-712-3258 to learn more.
• Dental offices are open and are taking steps to keep you and your family safe during COVID-19. Contact your dental clinic directly to find out what appointments are available. 
• Elective procedures have resumed. Authorizations for these procedures have been extended until January 1, 2021.
• You still have access to our network. None of your benefits have changed, and we are still here to ensure that your physical, dental and mental health care needs are met.

Here are some important things to know about COVID-19:

• If you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your primary care provider. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Your provider can advise you on the best next steps, including how to get tested. For more information, click here.
• Who can get tested? Currently, providers are working with public health officials to determine whether or not people need to be tested, depending on the situation and the symptoms present. For more information, click here.
• Whenever possible, stay at home and practice social distancing. This is the most effective way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• The Oregon Health Plan has created a Facebook page with helpful COVID-19 information in Spanish. Click here to see the page. 
• Pandemic EBT: Oregon is giving grocery money to families while school is closed. All families who are eligible for free or reduced price school meals will soon get funds on an Oregon Trail EBT card. Immigration status does not matter for Pandemic EBT. If you already get SNAP or free school meals, the benefit will automatically be added to your EBT card. Make sure your school has your current mailing address. If you weren’t getting help before the pandemic, apply online for free school meals at ode.state.or.us/apps/frlapp. Apply for SNAP at govstatus.egov.com/or-dhs-benefits. If you qualify for either program, you’ll also get Pandemic EBT.
• If your provider orders it, testing — including testing for the COVID-19 virus and antibody testing — is a fully covered service.

Watch for scams

Unfortunately, some people will try to take advantage of the worry around COVID-19. Please be on the lookout for:

• Ads for vaccines or medications that promise to heal COVID-19 or keep it away.
• Emails that seem to be about COVID-19 that will add a virus to your computer from a link or attachment.
• Phone calls asking for personal information.
• People coming door to door offering testing or prescriptions.
• Offers to let you pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine, or to get the vaccine early.
• Someone calling, texting or emailing promising access to the vaccine and asking you to share your personal or financial information.

If someone calls claiming to be from CareOregon and you’re not sure, hang up and call our Customer Service department. If we called you, we will have a record of the call. For more information about possible scams during this time, click here.

Contact Tracing Update:

Contact tracing helps public health officials determine who may have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will be making contact tracing calls, and we want you to feel safe answering their calls. Your information will be treated as a confidential public health record and will not be shared with other agencies, including immigration officials. Contact tracers will ask for the following information:

• Name, date of birth and where you live
• If you need an interpreter for a language other than English
• Race, ethnicity, language and disability information
• If you have any symptoms of COVID-19
• If you need a place to stay or have other needs to help you stay at home
• If they can contact you to monitor your symptoms and needs

If a contact tracer can’t reach you, they’ll leave a voicemail and ask you to call back. You will NEVER be asked for your social security number, immigration status or financial information. If someone calls and asks for that information, hang up. They are not part of local or state contact tracing efforts. 

Pharmacy updates:

• Refills: Medicare members can already fill for 90 days at a time. Please call your pharmacy if you need to refill your medications.
• Mail order: If you would like to fill your medication using a mail-order pharmacy, please call the pharmacy directly. Our directory of mail-order pharmacies is available here, or you can contact Pharmacy Customer Service. You can also call your local pharmacy, as they may offer home delivery service.
• Authorizations: If you have an approved pre-authorization that expires before the end of the year, check with your provider to see if the pre-authorization can be extended.

Interpretation access:

• If you speak a language other than English, we can help you get access to an interpreter. For phone interpretation, call our Customer Service at 888-712-3258 and we can help connect you to an interpreter.

Transportation options:

• Rides to appointments are still available. Drivers are taking precautions to keep you safe. Please call to ask about transportation options:
  • Ride to Care: 855-321-4899
  • TransLink: 888-518-8160
  • NW Rides: 888-793-0439

Learn what benefits you can access to stay healthy at home.

For helpful coronavirus facts from the Oregon Health Authority, click on your choice of language:

• English
• Spanish
• Arabic
• Simplified Chinese
• Traditional Chinese
• Hmong
• Russian
• Somali
• Vietnamese

Continue reading to find answers to frequently asked questions about the coronavirus.