Tweaks are being made to the Healthy Indiana Plan, a health-care insurance program which state officials hope will reach the 150,000 uninsured Hoosiers between 16 and 64.

Indiana loses about $1 billion a year in medical costs, according to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. For every $1 spent on measles, mumps, whooping cough and other childhood disease vaccinations, the state could save $25, the FSSA estimated.

While HIP is not free, it is cheap, compared to private medical insurance plans. It can cost as little as $17 per month, for persons earning less than $850 a month, said Louise Knecht, of the Boone County Health Department.

Person’s who make 200 percent of the federal poverty level qualify now qualify for HIP, but that figure will be adjusted upward. Too few Hoosiers were eligible, Knecht said.

“I talk every day about HIP,” Knecht said. “I wish more people were coming in to apply,” she said. “The worst that can happen is they can be turned down.”

The program offers low- and moderate-income Hoosiers access to health care — and can help them stay healthier.

“They want Hoosiers to get preventative care,” Knecht said — so the plan includes a $500 wellness benefit.

Knecht believes HIP is ideal for part-time workers — and potentially a way for employers to attract new workers.

There are two restrictions for HIP applicants, Knecht said:

n A person cannot have had health insurance for six months, and

n A person cannot have health insurance through their job.

Meeting those requirements — and the income guidelines — are all that’s necessary to enroll.

An existing illness does not disqualify persons from the program. “With HIP, you can have cancer and still qualify,” Knecht said.

There is paperwork, and some persons are put off by the medical history the HIP application requires. Knecht said there are good reasons for the history, and help available for the application.

Every Thursday, a case worker comes to the health department, 116 W. Washington St., Lebanon, to answer questions and offer assistance.

The case worker can help HIP enrollees find other sources when the pay-out limit is reached limit is near.

Under HIP’s personal wellness and responsibility (called a POWER) account, participants can plump up a cushion against future medical expenses. There’s an extra benefit.

If a HIP participant has a physical exam every year, money from the POWER account (similar to a flex plan) rolls over. The money will accumulate, if not depleted, indefinitely. Should a person need medical treatment at age 45, money will be available.

Claims for HIP coverage are processed through Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield and MDwise with AmeriChoice, are the two plan providers.

Medical services must accept Medicare as well as HIP, Knecht said.

The Boone County Community Clinic accepts HIP, Knecht said.

Witham Hospital also accepts HIP, as well as most major health plans are accepted, said Tammy Rabe, director of marketing and public relations.

Insurance is a secondary concern at Witham Health Services, she said.

“Our goal is to help patients spend more time concentrating on getting healthier and less time worrying about how they will pay for a service,” Rabe said.

Uninsured patients are not turned away, she said. Hospital employees determine if a patient qualifies for any state-funded program.

Witham’s financial services department will work with patients to adjust bills based on the ability to pay, “as determined by established financial guidelines,” Rabe said.

Currently, a single person earning $20,400 a year qualifies for HIP, according to the FSSA. Other income caps are: $27,360 for a household of two; $34,320 for a household of three and $41,280 for a family of four.