Wonkblog has a good explainer for what is being proposed by Indiana to expland its Medicaid program:
Pence last year insisted that he would only expand coverage if he could do it through the Healthy Indiana Plan, a health savings account-type of program for about 45,000 adult Hoosiers who didn’t qualify for the traditional Medicaid program…
Pence will lift HIP enrollment caps, opening up the program to working-age adults earning less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level ($16,105 for an individual or $32,913 for a family of four). Between 334,000 and 598,000 people will be covered under the plan, according to Pence’s office. Enrollment will open in 2015, with federal approval…
- HIP Members under the poverty level have the option to make monthly contributions. If they don’t, they’ll be transferred to a more basic level of coverage without vision and dental benefits. The lower coverage level requires co-payments for services, instead of monthly premiums. There are no co-pays, though, for preventive care and family planning services.
- HIP members above the poverty level who don’t pay a monthly contribution within 60 days are locked out of the program for six months. They can’t opt into the basic coverage level.
The basic plan design is a high deductible health plan where people are responsible for the first $1,100 of costs initially with it potentially expanding to $2,500. It is better than nothing, but it is a pretty shitty deal.
Indiana’s expansion plan is better than nothingPost + Comments (32)