<b>By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH<br>
Indiana Correspondent</b> </p><p>

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana’s low- to moderate-income residents should consider applying for the state’s new health insurance plan, the governor said late last month.</p><p>
Under the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), uninsured individuals ages 19-64 are eligible if their household income is 22 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, if they have no access to health insurance and if they are not eligible for Medicaid.</p><p>
“We’re here today to … further spread the word to those who do not have the protection and peace of mind they deserve, that here’s a product for which you may well be qualified,” Gov. Mitch Daniels said.</p><p>
The state’s Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) began taking applications Dec. 17 and, by Jan. 2, about 7,200 Hoosiers had applied, said Lauren Auld, the agency’s director of media relations.</p><p>
The state has funding to provide insurance for more than 100,000 people, Daniels said. Close to 400,000 people in the state could fit the criteria to be eligible for the program, he said.</p><p>
“We don’t pretend this is a total solution, but it will make a huge difference if we can get it totally subscribed,” he said.</p><p>
The HIP provides each participant with a Personal Wellness and Responsibility, or POWER, account. The state and each participant will contribute.</p><p>
The participant’s share is based on their ability to pay, though the share is not to exceed five percent of gross annual income.
Residents who applied and were approved by the end of last year saw their coverage begin on Jan. 1. Participants are required to be reauthorized every 12 months.</p><p>
The program also offers unlimited preventative care for such things as routine physicals.</p><p>
“HIP is a bold experiment that has already attracted national attention, and the early surge in applications from throughout the state is a clear sign that the need is great and that the people are ready to respond,” said David Roos, state program director for Covering Kids and Families of Indiana.</p><p>
The governor proposed the program in November 2006 and it was included in his legislative package for 2007, said Jane Jankowski, his press secretary. It was approved by the state legislature in the spring of 2007.</p><p>
“Hopefully, we will have thousands and thousands sign up for what is a very good program,” Jankowski said. “The preventative portion allows participants to start on a good path to become healthy.
“And as Hoosiers become healthier, that will have an impact for everyone, as insurance rates hopefully will go down.”</p><p>
The HIP also provides an employer wellness tax credit for employers who offer a qualified wellness program to employees. The program must include incentives for weight loss, preventative screenings and for workers to quit smoking.</p><p>
The tax credit – 50 percent of qualified expenses – is available to employers with two to 100 employees, that have received certification from the state’s Department of Health for a qualified wellness program.</p><p>
The HIP will be paid for with federal funds and from an increase in the state’s cigarette tax, Jankowski said.</p><p>
“It’s taxpayer-friendly because we will not take on more exposure than the available funds,” Daniels said. “This is a self-financing program.</p><p>
“This is health insurance you can afford, and health insurance you can control. It recognizes the dignity of each person to make their own choices.”</p><p>
For more information or to apply, go to www.hip.in.gov or www.in.gov/fssa online, or call 877-GET-HIP9 (438-4479).