For immediate release:
Nov. 27, 2007

Healthy Indiana Plan applications are now available,
Indiana State Rep. Ron Herrell announces

INDIANAPOLIS — According to State Rep. Ron Herrell (D-Kokomo), applications are now available for the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), a state sponsored health care program designed to provide coverage for lower-income adults.

HIP—which was passed by the Legislature in a bipartisan fashion as part of the Indiana Checkup Plan—will provide health coverage to as many as 130,000 uninsured Hoosier adults living at less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. This correlates to a yearly income of $20,420 for a single person or $41,300 for a family of four.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must have been uninsured for at least six months and have no access to employer-provided health care.

The plan participants will be entitled to the following:

  • $500 per year toward preventative health care;
  • a $1,100 health savings account (HSA) to be used for regular health care needs; and
  • all medical costs exceeding $1,100 would be picked up by insurance providers, who will cover up to $300,000 annually.

Herrell noted that this was not an entitlement program. Plan enrollees will be required to contribute to the $1,100 HSA at a rate no greater than 4.5 percent of their annual income. The state will only accept as many applicants as it can afford under the $190 million spending cap.

Hoosiers can download applications at www.hip.in.gov and can request additional information by calling toll free (877)GET-HIP9 (438-4479) or emailing hipinfo@fssa.in.gov. Organizations participating in the V-CAN network, Hoosier Healthwise Enrollment Centers and local Division of Family Resources offices will also have applications available by Monday, Dec. 3.

FSSA will begin reviewing applications on Dec. 17, and coverage will begin on Jan. 1.

"We've worked hand in hand with the federal government and various state agencies to get this program off the ground," Herrell said. "I'm proud to say we've succeeded.

"Massive health care costs often lead to financial ruin for the working poor, leading many to deny services that could vastly improve their health or save their lives," he concluded. "This program ensures that thousands of Hoosiers receive the health care they need."


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