Healthy Indiana Plan

Hello!
Does anyone out there know if the HIP covers wls?

My sis has HIP and checked into WLS...sorry to say no it doesn't cover wls.

Jeannie

Tiffany tried getting on the HIP and has yet to hear back from them. How did you go about getting on it? Do you know if they cover optical? Dental? Dentures?

Have you checked into Wishard Advantage (If you're here in Indy)? I don't know if it'd cover WLS but since Wishard has a bariatrics department and does do WLS there, it might. My son had it and the co-pays were: Surgeries-$100, Specialists-$50, and pcp doctors-$25.

Sherri

You can apply by going to in.gov or going to your local food stamp office. they go by how much your income is. If your not working and have no income then you would have to pay no copay for anything unless you go to the emergency room and its not an emergency. then its 25.00 bucks

There should be a Custome Service number on the back of your HIP ID card, try calling it and find/verify for yourself. 

Sherri, you can ask for HIP application somewhere on the IN.gov website or at a local welfare office. 

When my sis called to ask about the HIP benefits she was told that she would need to have a doctor submit it for her, they wouldn't answer her personally.  She had the ladies at the office of St Francis verify her coverage and WLS is excluded.  So if you don't have much luck getting an answer for yourself just call any of the bariatric centers and have them check for you. 

Sherri, Tiff needs to hurry and get her application in.   I was reading in the Indy Star not long ago that there was less than 30,000 policies left.  Its a basic health plan that covers preventative and emergency health care, it even pays $50 or $75 if the insured completes all annual checkups each year.  No dental or vision.  Free prescriptions.  Its a great program, my sis has never had insurance as an adult so it has been heaven sent for her.
http://www.in.gov/fssa/hip/

Edited to add...my sis pays $14 a month for coverage.  Its on a sliding scale and at one point she was paying $63 when she had a better paying job.

I'm getting the impression that HIP isn't very coheasive(sp?) I know a girl here in Crawfordsville that pays $27 a month for HIP, she applied at our local welfare office (they sent some part of the application that needed to be filled out by her to her and another portion to her PCP), and she was able to have WLS with her HIP coverage. She even called them to tell them she wanted to ask her PCP and wanted to know if it was covered before talking to him. And if I remember, I do believe she told me she paid a total of $500 OOP (payment arrangements w/the hospital). Then I hear people that are having the run around just getting an application and/or WLS isn't covered. 

I guess like any other policy/company there MIGHT different coverages for different counties or areas, maybe?

IDK just werid though.

Jodi

Hi All!

Thanks for all your insight. As far as the HIP plan is concerned. I was just approved yesterday 4/22. I had originally applied back in Dec. I hope it not all just a joke because today I called to see if I could find out what my mthly primium is (seeings I have gotten NO correspondence from them!) and all they said was to call Anthem and gave me the number which I repeated back to the CS rep. When I called that number....its a dating service! Needless to say...well you can imagine my reaction!
So anyway I decided that since I'm currently jobless - not by choice- I can do what they do and hire myself out as a HIP CS rep. People can call me and I'll just say "I currently donot have access to the information heres another number to call" Then bill them!

Sincerely,
Not happy in Indiana!

Jo you just might be on to something there because I remember helping my sister choose a plan when she joined, she had two choices.  Maybe there is a difference?  I know my sis chose Anthem.  I am going to help her research because she could really benefit from having wls.

Jeannie

They sure do I am on the healthy indiana plan and the approved me for the surgery, You will have to do the six month diet and make sure you go to a dietition to do it because i had to go thru it twice,