Governor Pence Praises Healthy Indiana Plan as “Proven Model for Medicaid Reform”

INDIANAPOLIS—Governor Mike Pence announced today that the State has received approval from the federal government to use an updated version of the consumer-driven Healthy Indiana Plan known as HIP 2.0 instead of Medicaid to offer access to quality health care to 350,000 uninsured Hoosiers. The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) will begin taking applications immediately, and coverage will begin February 1.

“Since the beginning of my administration, we have worked hard to ensure that low-income Hoosiers have access to a health care plan that empowers them to take charge of their health and prepares them to move to private insurance as they improve their lives,” said Governor Pence. “This has been a long process, but real reform takes work.”

HIP 2.0 participants are required to contribute to a POWER account, which they manage like a health savings account and are rewarded for using preventive care. Consequences for non-payment range from mandatory co-pays for services to loss of coverage. In addition, the plan includes a co-pay for emergency room use, designed to encourage appropriate use of the emergency room.

The plan also offers low-income Hoosiers an option to receive assistance in purchasing private-market insurance through their employers, called HIP Link. The use of a health savings account as part of a premium assistance program is the first of its kind in the nation. The plan also refers applicants to job training and job search programs offered by the State of Indiana.

With this approval, Indiana will end traditional Medicaid for all non-disabled Hoosiers between 19 and 64 and will continue to offer the first-ever consumer-driven health care plan for a low-income population. In addition, the State will reform its traditional Medicaid program by increasing reimbursement for healthcare providers, which will improve access to care. The State negotiated the rate increase as part of its agreement with the Indiana Hospitals Association, which will help fund the Healthy Indiana Plan so it can be offered at no additional cost to taxpayers.

“The expanded and updated HIP 2.0 is based on a program that has been serving 60,000 low-income Hoosiers in our state for seven years,” said Governor Pence. “It is a proven model for Medicaid reform across the nation.”

For information on how to enroll in the Healthy Indiana Plan, visit www.HIP.IN.gov or call 1-877-GET-HIP-9.

The State submitted its formal waiver to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) on July 1, 2014.

Office of Governor Pence Provides Clarification Prior to Upcoming Launch of Website

Indianapolis – In the coming weeks, the State of Indiana will launch “Just IN,” a one-stop-shop news resource website that will house press releases from the Governor, Lt. Governor and the agencies they lead.

Currently, Indiana’s executive agencies send out press releases and then post them on the State of Indiana’s calendar page, found at www.in.gov/calendar. With Just IN, this process will not change. Instead, the website will offer the same service to the public and to the media, with a new, streamlined look.

Each weekday, up to six press releases will be featured in the “Top Stories” section of the website. All other press releases for the day will appear further down on the Just IN homepage, separated by category. Members of the media will continue to receive press releases via email.

The website will be overseen by a Managing Editor and Assistant Managing Editor, whose roles will be to ensure press releases are ready and available for posting on Just IN, as well as managing photo, audio and video files available to the media. They, along with members of the Governor’s communication team, will comprise the Just IN Editorial Board. The Board will be responsible for determining placement of releases on the website and fielding feedback from agencies, the public and media.

The Just IN website will also include a “Reporter Resources” section for members of the media. This area, accessible via log-in, will provide things such as executive agency head headshots, contact information for executive agency communications staff, infographics, and other handouts used in press events. In the future, the State hopes to include raw video and audio of events in the resource section.

Additional information regarding the Just IN website will be forthcoming upon its launch.

STATEHOUSE – State Representative Holli Sullivan (R-Evansville) has authored a bill to benefit taxpayers and Hoosier motorists. House Bill (HB) 1362 would extend the amount of time that Indiana is required to reissue license plates. The bill passed unanimously out of the House.

“As a state representative, it is important to look for innovative solutions that can save taxpayers both time and money,” said Rep. Sullivan. “Through this bill, I am pleased to provide an effective strategy to save the state money, which can then be passed on to the consumers.”

Currently, license plates must be issued by the state every five years. If enacted, HB 1362 could extend the life cycle of license plates by up to 10 years, which could save the state on average around $10 million per year starting in July 2016.

HB 1362 gives the Bureau of Motor Vehicles the ability to set the license plate life cycle at no less than five years, but no more than 10 years. The bill does not change the exemptions for certain plates like municipal or commercial motor vehicles.

“Indiana is below the national average when it comes to license plate reissuance,” said Rep. Sullivan. “Unfortunately, that means we lose many perfectly acceptable license plates that with our new technologies could last for more years.”

This bill will now go to the Senate for further debate and discussion.

Visit iga.in.gov for more information about HB 1362 or www.indianahouserepublicans.com for more information about Rep. Sullivan.