State adds dental care for veterans
ALBANY — Linn County veterans will now have access to dental care thanks to a new program from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Services Manager Dee Baley-Hyder told the Linn County Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning.
Baley-Hyder said veterans will receive the same types of dental services provided through the Medicaid program administered through the Oregon Health Plan, locally InterCommunity Health Care.
She emphasized veterans must apply through the Oregon Health Plan — either on-line (https://www.oregon.gov/odva/Benefits/Pages/Dental.aspx) or by telephone, 1-800-832-4580 for Linn County or 800-273-0557 through Medicaid.
Eligibility includes:
- Live in Oregon
- Are not eligible for the Oregon Health Plan/Medicaid
- Are a veteran as described in the ORS 408.225
- Have income at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level
Once a person is determined to be eligible, veterans will need to provide discharge documentation.
Baley-Hyder also reported that Veterans Services helped local veterans receive $333,779 in benefits from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022. From July 1 to Dec. 31, more than $1.25 million was recovered for local veterans.
She said the medical transportation program continues to be popular as well.
In other business, the commissioners:
- Approved the Special Transportation Improvement Fund grant applications for 2023-25: Albany Paratransit/Call-a-Ride, $50,000; Lebanon Linx, $138,821; Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments, $36,000; Oregon Mennonite Residential Services, $15,000; Sunshine Industries Unlimited, $65,000; Senior Citizens of Sweet Home— Dial-a-Bus, $50,000; Senior Citizens of Sweet Home — Linn Shuttle, $196,000; Volunteer Caregivers, $120,000. Total: $670,821.
- Approved a request by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office to contract with the Northwest Clinical Registry to provide temporary Registered Nursing staffing at the jail. Commissioner Sherrie Sprenger noted that attracting nursing staff is not just a local issue. It is a state and national problem.
- Were informed by Planning & Building Director Steve Wills there were 49 land use permits and 279 total permits issued in December. Wills said this is traditionally a slower building time. He said five permits were issued for single family dwellings and one for a manufactured dwelling. He said the county has waived almost $114,000 in building permits for homes in the Santiam Canyon rebuilding after the September 2020 fires.
- Gave Linn County Law Librarian Amber Boedigheimer permission to apply for a $45,000 grant from the Library Services Technology Act, to implement a “warm line” with the local Legal Aid Services program. The “warm line” would be a telephone number that tenants and landlords can use to get answers to questions about rent hikes, unpaid rent, habitability issues, property damages etc. Pro-bono attorneys from Legal Aid would operate the phone line and forward calls to the Linn County Law Library as needed.
- Approved the following money transfers: LBRIG Radio Project, $55,208; Veterans transportation, $24,021; Millersburg Intermodal, interest on loan from the Road Fund, $4,021; De-icing material for Road Department, $45,000; General Services, electric vehicle charging stations, $53,000 grant; Linn County Sheriff’s Office, COVID-19 testing reimbursement from Oregon Health Authority, $215,000.
- Were informed by Accounting Officer Bill Palmer that the county is half-way through the current fiscal year and department budgets look good. The General Fund is only about 45 percent expended; the Road Fund is at 25.5 percent; the Law Enforcement Levy is at 38 percent and Health Department at 32.5 percent. Commissioner Roger Nyquist emphasized that as budgeting season nears, department heads should be reminded that for the past three years there has been quite an influx of one-time state and federal funding. Those funds will likely dry up and staffing and expenditures need to reflect the new reality.
- Re-appointed Kerry Johnson and Ed Perlenfein to the Linn County Fair Board.
Media contact: Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer, 541-967-3825 or email apaul@co.linn.or.us.
