Indiana Health Insurance
Indiana residents are seeing changes in health coverage due to the Affordable Care Act. Many states have accepted government funds to establish an online insurance marketplace for residents, but Gov. Mike Pence declined to set up a state-based exchange. Indiana is one of five states still debating Medicaid expansion. Residents can visit the state’s insurance website to research benefits and options. Visitors to the website should know the following.
- The three categories of residents addressed on the site are adults, pregnant women and children younger than 19.
- Each category leads to a page with a chart that divides residents by income and family size.
- Depending on category, income and family size, state residents might be directed to the federal health insurance marketplace at HealthCare.gov or the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration website for a public option such as Medicaid.
Who qualifies for Indiana health insurance subsidies?
According to a January 2014 Kaiser Family Foundation state profile, 52 percent of previously uninsured residents can qualify for some type of financial assistance to help pay for Indiana health insurance. This assistance could come in the form of subsidies to help pay for private plans offered in the federal marketplace, or it could come from public plans offered by the state. The ACA has had the following effect on subsidies in the state:
- Typically, eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP is determined using 2014 poverty level guidelines, and eligibility for subsidies is determined using 2013 guidelines.
- As of 2014, 1 in 3 previously uninsured Indiana residents is eligible for subsidies to offset the cost of premiums.
- Indiana children from families with incomes less than 255 percent of the federal poverty level — about $60,815 for a family of four — might qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
- In this state, Medicaid eligibility for nondisabled and nonpregnant adults is still limited to parents of minor children with incomes below 24 percent of the poverty level, or about $5,725 a year for a family of four.
The Affordable Care Act gives subsidies in the form of federal income tax credits for private marketplace plans to many people who earn between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. This is between $23,850 and $94,200 for a family of four and between $11,490 and $45,960 for an individual.
Typically, people who have access to other sources of affordable medical plans like employer-sponsored benefits or Medicare won’t qualify for marketplace subsidies.
Some individuals and families with income more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level may choose to sign up for a marketplace plan because these plans must provide specified minimum benefits, and insurers cannot discriminate against people with pre-existing medical conditions.
Health insurance companies in Indiana
These companies offer qualifying marketplace plans for residents of Indiana.
- Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
- MDwise
- Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana
- Ambetter from Managed Health Services
Indiana health and coverage statistics
Indiana population (2013): 6,570,902
Population 65 and older (2012): 13.6 percent
Life expectancy (2010): 77.6 years
Number of Medicaid beneficiaries (2012): 1,079,700
Number of Medicare beneficiaries (2012): 930,300
Estimated number of uninsured residents (2012): 806,300
Overall state health ranking: 41
Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation, U.S. Census Bureau, America’s Health Rankings 2014 report.
Indiana health insurance resources
Indiana Department of Insurance: http://www.in.gov/idoi/
Indiana Aging: http://www.in.gov/fssa/2329.htm
