Medicaid typically covers low-income families, children, people who are over age 65, and women who are pregnant. This leaves out adults who do not have dependent children. Indiana has a program called Healthy Indiana that will cover this group that is so often neglected in other states.
Medicaid is a public, or government run, form of health insurance. It is designed to cover individuals and families who are low-income and who cannot afford to by a health plan from a private insurance company. Medicaid is funded, in part, by the federal government and it is also funded by the government of an individual state.
Part of the Affordable Care Act includes a law that says that the federal government will pay the full cost of covering newly eligible people for Medicaid for three years. The funding will start in 2014, and it will last through 2016.
After that, the percentage of funding that comes from the federal government for state’s Medicaid programs will gradually decline, until it reaches 90% in 2020. This funding is in the form of a grant.
Typically, Medicaid excludes coverage for adults who are under age 65, who are not disabled, and who are not parents of dependent children. The result is that a lot of low-income adults are left without any options for health insurance or access to health care. Indiana is one of the few states who will cover this group through its Medicaid program.
The Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) covers adults who are under the age of 65, and who do not live with a dependent child. To qualify, the person would earn up to approximately $44,000 a year (for a family of four). The person must have been uninsured for six months, and must not be able to access health insurance coverage through his or her employer.
HIP does not provide coverage that is as comprehensive as what is included in the Traditional Medicaid program in Indiana. It doesn’t cover vision, dental, or maternity services. A person who qualifies for HIP will have to pay a small monthly fee. The amount of the fee is based on the person’s income.
Some of you may be wondering what a family of four, with no dependent children, might look like. One example would start with a married couple (where each spouse is under the age of 65). The couple has a son who is 21 years old, who has finished college, and who has returned to live with his parents. The son’s fiance, who is also 21 years old, has also moved in. The parents in this example might qualify for HIP.
Image by Monica Arellano-Ongpin on Flickr