Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalawyer.com

Indianapolis – One year after the landmark approval of the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) 2.0 waiver, HIP members and representatives from the health care community are lauding its success.

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Tunde Sotunde, M.D., MBA

President, North Region, Medicaid

Government Business Division

Anthem, Inc. 

“Without a doubt, there is no other program – again, no other program – like the HIP 2.0 program. One that is designed to drive member responsibility by providing individuals a stake in their health care purchasing decisions. “

“There is no doubt in my mind that the HIP 2.0 program has been game-changing and innovative in how we think about and how we approach the delivery of meaningful healthcare coverage to individuals that need it the most and, in just one year, has delivered very compelling results that have made a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers across the state and has driven outcomes that, frankly speaking, have even exceeded my own expectations.”

“On the heels of the original HIP 1.0 program, we always had the confidence and the belief that with the payment innovations, the capabilities and the enhancements that were built into the current program, that our members would not only get more engaged with their health care decision making and health care choices, but would also be satisfied with the results and the outcomes of those choices.”

“Someday in the future when our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren are reading the history books on the evolution of the healthcare delivery system here in the United States, prominent mention will be made of Governor Pence and the Administration with regards to starting the revolution in how we think about and how we approach the delivery of meaningful coverage to those individuals that need it the most in order to drive the outcomes that we all desire.”

“Clearly, individuals are getting more engaged in their health care decision making, they’re more satisfied in the outcomes of those decisions, and they’re taking responsibility in the choices they make.”

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Jay Height, Executive Director of Shepherd Community Center

“It’s empowering to those in poverty to be able to say, ‘I can choose what’s best for me, and for my family, for my kids, and for my spouse.’”

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Doug Leonard, President of the Indiana Hospital Association

“It’s been a wonderful year for the health of our state. Since HIP 2.0 was implemented, Indiana hospitals have seen a significant reduction in the amount of uncompensated care – while Indiana patients gained an affordable option for health coverage.

“HIP 2.0 has led to tremendous gains in patients seeking preventive care at the right time, in the right place. We firmly believe our state has turned a corner, and that HIP 2.0 will lead to lasting improvements in the health of Hoosiers for generations to come.

“Since HIP 2.0 was approved, Indiana hospitals have worked tirelessly to educate patients about the new program. We thank our member hospitals for their efforts, and thank Governor Pence for his leadership on this critical issue. On behalf of IHA and our 164 member hospitals across the state, we commend his administration for their many months of hard work to implement the program.”

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Don Kelso, Executive Director of the Indiana Rural Health Association

“How successful is HIP 2.0? More than 355,000 Hoosiers and their families have enrolled. That’s a lot of people – nearly a third of all people living in rural areas or small towns in Indiana. With 355,000 people enrolled, that means hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers now have access to regular and timely care. That means better quality outcomes across the board. That means a healthier Indiana.”

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Diana Sullivan, President of the Indiana State Nurses Association

“January 27, 2016 marks the one-year anniversary of a momentous day in Indiana healthcare, the day Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0 (HIP 2.0) was approved.”

“The Governor’s office and the Family & Social Services Administration should be commended for working with stakeholders throughout the implementation process to best meet the healthcare needs of Hoosiers.”

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Bradley Braydon, HIP 2.0 member

“It’s a game changer. It’s a life changing possibility…to upgrade a little bit more every month to get the care that we need. I just never heard of anything like that. I can’t believe it’s available.”

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Pat Knight, HIP 2.0 member

“I have not had glasses in 12 years. I do now because of the little premium I’m allowed to pay…To be able to see is so important. Without it, you can’t read, you can’t write, you can’t do art, you can’t even wash your dishes right.”

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Chris Cunningham, HIP 2.0 member

“When you do something that benefits you and makes you feel better, you do want to share it. You want people to know that this is available, and nobody has to go without being able to go to their doctor when they feel that something’s not right.”

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Jennifer Stanley, St. Vincent Medical Group (SVMG) Regional Medical Director

“Taking care of my HIP 2.0 patients is so enjoyable. They’re engaged. When they come in to see me, they’re interested in what I have to say. They take it seriously and they want to be a part of their health care. They’re interested in being healthy. As a family doctor, that’s what I want for my entire community.”

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Jonathan S. Nalli, Chief Executive Officer, St. Vincent, Indiana

Senior Vice President, Ascension Health/Indiana Ministry Market Executive

“In 1881, when four Daughters of Charity arrived in Indianapolis to begin healthcare – which is now known as St. Vincent,  a statewide healthcare network – they made a comment that resonates so deeply with me. We’re here to keep health care human. Human for the provider. Human for the patient. Human for the caregiver. The rich will come and the poor will come if they see that we treat people as humans. I can’t help but continue to go back to what our Governor has done with HIP 2.0, because we now have greater tools and you’ve heard stories today about how healthcare is more human now because of HIP 2.0.”

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Carl Ellison, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition

“One of the great things about HIP 2.0 is that if we can actually say and demonstrate that minorities benefitted from this, I mean that’s a very, very good thing for this state and nation. Because in minority health, you need models to illustrate what can be done.”

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Phil Morphew, CEO of Indiana Primary Health Care Association

“HIP 2.0 is hardly a tough sell. People see right away that it’s an insurance program that is designed for them and they’re eager to enroll. They don’t mind the skin-in-the-game aspect of the program. We don’t get complaints about that. People are able to pay those small amounts.”

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Bob Siegmann, Senior Vice President for Healthcare Integration and Collaboration of Centerstone

 

“Frankly, the way the Governor set up HIP with a lot of preventive aspects to it, really encourages people, not just to have skin in the game by paying some money to be in, but also encourages them to look at a new way of dealing with their health care…”

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Stephen C. McCaffrey, JD, President and CEO of Mental Health America of Indiana

“As we approach the one-year anniversary of HIP 2.0, we can be proud that now 355,000 Hoosiers now have health insurance coverage who might not otherwise. Some might be surprised that 70 of the participants are making contributions to their HSA-like account and are enrolled in the HIP Plus plan. Maybe most impressive is that almost 94% of enrollees who begin making contributions, continue doing so. However, the impact in the area of mental health and addiction is even more impressive, as many of these individuals have never had access to behavioral health services before HIP 2.0.”

“HIP 2.0 takes groundbreaking steps toward improving access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. Significantly, HIP 2.0 includes coverage for mental health and substance use disorder services at “parity” with other physical health disorders. In the area of mental health and substance use, the tremendous advances that we have seen in treatment have been predicated on new medications that literally give people back their lives. HIP 2.0 ensures that appropriate mental health medications are accessible and that participants have access to medication assisted treatment for addiction—evidenced based treatment that is critical to treating the opioid epidemic in Indiana.”

“Further, HIP has become the foundation on what is developing into a system of care in the area of mental health and addiction replacing the puzzle pieces of siloed services based on disjointed funding streams. The Governor’s announcement regarding the new Neuro-diagnostic Psychiatric Hospital is one example. This new evidence-based practice will create opportunities for cutting edge psychiatric diagnosis and short-term stabilization and treatment for individuals that will then move to community-based services now covered by HIP 2.0.”