Hoosier Action Holds Save Hoosier Healthcare Campaign Kick Off, May 29 at MCPL

(BLOOMINGTON) – Indiana is about to run a very dangerous experiment: additional reporting requirements for those insured under HIP. This threatens a vital health insurance program as we know it and promises to compromise all Hoosiers’ health, while costing the state more in fees to a for-profit corporation.


Hoosier Action is bringing concerned Hoosiers together to fight this change by mounting an organized, region-wide campaign to Save Hoosier Healthcare, in partnership with Medicare for All Indiana (formerly Hoosiers for a Common Sense Healthcare Plan) and Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard. The campaign kicks off on Wednesday, May 29 at 6:30 pm at the Monroe County Public Library. All are welcome to attend, learn about these dangerous changes, and find resources to navigate the system and fight back.
The changes will require all non-exempt HIP recipients to report monthly on their employment, volunteer, or other caretaking activities in order to continue coverage. This program copycats ones that have already been declared failures in Kentucky and Arkansas and resulted in tens of thousands of more uninsured people.
The stakes are high for Hoosiers: one minor error, one mistake on the part of the for-profit, multi-billion dollar company administering this reporting process, a Virginia-based company called Maximus, and a Hoosier loses coverage for months. It’s estimated nearly 80,000 HIP recipients will be affected. Maximus is paid for every application, which means the more churn, the more people kicked off for spurious reasons, the richer they get off of our taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, our healthcare costs rise and our health suffers.
“It’s not acceptable to experiment with people’s lives, and that’s what this is, a giant experiment that runs counter to the intention of Medicaid which is to provide health care coverage,” explains Georg’ann Cattelona, longtime maternal and child healthcare advocate and a member of Hoosier Action. “It is not a jobs program; it never was intended to be one. We must push back on this immoral and unnecessary distortion of HIP 2.0 and Medicaid.”
Hoosier Action will reach out to fellow community members via canvassing, coordination, political actions, and other direct means to let lawmakers know this experiment is not acceptable. The May 29th event will give attendees a clear picture of what they can do to combat these changes and promote a stronger, healthier Indiana for all. “We want people to walk away knowing what they can do to shift the conversation,” says Cattelona.

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