Indiana health officials are extending open enrollment for two major Medicaid programs through Dec. 24, giving more time for hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers facing a forced plan change to select another option from the state’s managed care lineup.
The Family and Social Services Administration announced Thursday that the Healthy Indiana Plan, or HIP, which serves low-income adults, and PathWays for Aging, the Medicaid program for older adults and people with disabilities, will remain open for plan selection an additional week. The deadline was originally set for mid-December.
FSSA said the deadline extension is in response to ongoing “high engagement” from members seeking assistance with coverage decisions and comes ahead of the state’s phaseout of MDwise as one of Indiana’s Medicaid managed care options. The move is expected to affect about 300,000 Hoosiers.
FSSA encouraged all members enrolled in HIP or PathWays to use the extended timeframe to review their options and contact the enrollment broker for help, with HIP assistance at 1-877-GET-HIP9 (1-877-438-4479) and PathWays at 1-877-284-9294.
In November, the agency announced that MDwise will no longer serve as a managed care health plan for Indiana’s Medicaid programs, including HIP and Hoosier Healthwise, effective Jan. 1. Members currently covered by MDwise must select a new plan from the remaining carriers — Anthem, CareSource or Managed Health Services — during the current open enrollment.
MDwise was a provider for HIP but not Pathways.
The providers under Pathways are Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana Healthy Horizons and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Indiana.
Hoosiers currently enrolled in HIP or Pathways for Aging who do not select a plan by the new Dec. 24 deadline will be automatically enrolled in a plan “that closely matches their current coverage.”
For those transitioning from the MDwise health plan, FSSA is offering added flexibility — those members will have a 90-day window after open enrollment ends to switch plans if they are not satisfied with the one they are auto-assigned, according to the agency.
FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob previously said a review found MDwise “was both the most expensive and the lowest in quality,” and that ending its participation would help the state meet federal requirements while “safeguarding members’ access to care.”
The MDwise exit is part of broader efforts by Gov. Mike Braun’s administration to rein in fast-growing Medicaid costs and improve quality across the program.
MDwise has challenged the state’s decision in court, arguing that the termination will disrupt care and harm its longstanding business in Indiana. A judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order, allowing the state’s actions to proceed.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
