Health Insurance for Low-Income Families in Indiana

Health insurance is an essential financial tool for families in Indiana: It helps prevent you from incurring overwhelming expenses for emergency room visits, hospitalization, surgery and prescription costs. However, the high cost of health insurance prevents some low-income Hoosiers from maintaining the coverage they need for proper health care. The Healthy Indiana Plan, or HIP, can help low-income families in Indiana obtain health-care coverage.

Eligibility

• HIP is available to individuals and families that earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or FPL, and that have been uninsured for at least six months. Eligible individuals and families also must not have access to an employer-sponsored health insurance plan. Individuals who earn less than $21,660 per year typically meet income qualifications for the plan, as do families of four that earn less than $44,000 per year, as of May 2011.

Coverages

• Eligible individuals and families in Indiana receive basic health-care benefits that pay for costs above $1,100. HIP includes coverage for hospital services, emergency room services, mental health and substance abuse treatment, doctors' office visits, prescriptions, diagnostic tests and hospice care. Preventative care and a POWER account worth $1,100, which can be used for medical expenses, are also included.

Costs

• Costs for HIP are determined according to a sliding scale based on the individual or family's income. Those below the FPL pay 2 percent of their gross income. Individuals and families between 100 percent and 125 percent of the FPL pay 3 percent, and those between 125 percent and 150 percent pay 4 percent. Those between 150 percent and 200 percent of the FPL pay between 4.5 percent and 5 percent of their gross income. HIP does not require co-payments, except for co-payments up to $25 for emergency room visits.

Applying for HIP

• The HIP application form is available on IN.gov. To apply for HIP, complete the application form. You will also need to supply pay stubs or other proof of income, birth certificates or other proof of identity, and proof of immigration status if applicable. Mail or fax the forms and documentation to the address or fax number listed on the IN.gov website.