Indiana

Premiums return for Indiana's HIP, CHIP Medicaid enrollees • Indiana Capital Chronicle

Published

2 years ago

June 24, 2024

Premiums return for Indiana's HIP, CHIP Medicaid enrollees • Indiana Capital Chronicle

For the first time in years, certain Indiana Medicaid beneficiaries will start paying premiums again — a concern for advocates who say that enrollees are unprepared and point to federal concerns about the rule’s effectiveness.

The state waived the cost-sharing requirement, otherwise known as POWER Accounts, in early 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the state’s Medicaid rolls swelled as the federal government incentivized states not to cut off coverage during an unprecedented public health emergency.

But on July 1, Medicaid beneficiaries in the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and MedWorks will get a bill — many of them for the first time if they enrolled during or after the pandemic.

Adam Mueller, one such advocate, pointed to surveys finding beneficiaries didn’t understand the premiums, which can fluctuate monthly and sometimes are rolled over to other months. Even those who tried to do everything right could fall short due to an external factor, he said.

“If you’ve ever put $1 in a vending machine, and you see the bag of chips and it comes in halfway and just stops. You’re like, ‘What do I do? That was the only dollar I had. How do I get my chips?’ But in this case, it’s health care. The whole system could trip up based on whether you paid $1 or not,” said Mueller.

“It’s really, really scary to me that people could lose access to coverage — life-saving coverage, life-sustaining coverage — over paperwork errors.”

Lawsuit and FSSA response

Former Gov. Mitch Daniels first introduced the consumer-driven, cost-sharing approach in 2007 when the state expanded Medicaid to moderate income workers. Then Gov. Mike Pence developed the program even further.

Mueller is an attorney with the Indiana Justice Project, a nonprofit currently suing the federal government for approving several waivers that allowed the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) to tailor specific aspects of its Medicaid program.

In particular, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approved waivers to impose the work requirements, require premiums, strike retroactive coverage and bar payment for certain non-emergency medical transportation. Plaintiffs represented by Mueller’s group revived the lawsuit in January after a pandemic pause, when premiums were suspended.

In June 2021, the federal government removed work requirements, which were dropped from the case, but left the other three waivers in place during a review published in December 2023.

The presiding judge is under no deadline to decide the case, though the state government filed to dismiss in April.

FSSA says that Indiana law requires the agency to implement cost-sharing across the three programs, which ranges from $1 to $187 for single enrollees depending on household income.

Instead, the agency pointed to its advertising campaign in multiple languages as evidence of its efforts to educate members about the premiums restart.

“FSSA has used a robust outreach plan to ensure that members, their families and friends, and stakeholders are aware of the cost-share restart and when, how, and where to pay,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement.

“FSSA has equipped them with tools in multiple languages that are designed to raise overall awareness, help members easily transition into cost-share and help third parties that want to pay contributions on behalf of members,” the agency continued. “This has included multiple stakeholder meetings, an advertising campaign, a 9-week social media toolkit designed for stakeholder use and guides for how to pay.”

Notably, Hoosiers who make enough money to purchase an insurance plan on the federal marketplace don’t pay any premiums.

Details about cost-sharing

For a new enrollees first month, qualifying beneficiaries will have conditional coverage, meaning their coverage will be “active” once they make their first payment, FSSA’s Nonis Spinner shared in an April meeting detailing the reintroduction of premiums.

Paying immediately or when you apply is the surest way to maintain coverage, Spinner said, but each plan offers additional options.

“If they don’t make the payment within 60 days … those with over 100% (of the Federal Poverty Level income, or $31,200 for a family of four) will be disenrolled and they won’t have coverage. However, there is no lockout — they can reapply at any time,” Spinner said.

For those making under that threshold, they’ll be put on a “basic” coverage plan with the option to choose a different plan during their renewal period.

“The main difference between basic and plus is that in basic coverage, you pay co-payments at the time of service for most of your services. And in the plus coverage, you pay a monthly contribution instead,” Spinner summarized.

The state has some exceptions for someone who is determined to be medically frail or pregnant. Additionally, tobacco users are subject to a premium surcharge starting in 2026.

Hoosier Medicaid recipients report higher program dissatisfaction than peers

The General Assembly approved continuous eligibility for children in 2023, meaning that even if parents don’t make the payment, Hoosiers under 19 will still be covered for a full year.

After a full year without payments, those children can be locked out for up to three months until coverage can be reactivated — potentially disrupting crucial health care for the state’s youngest Hoosiers.

Meanwhile, someone with a disability covered by the MedWorks plan can be locked out for two years due to nonpayment if they make 150% of the federal poverty level, or $46,800 for a family of four.

But Mueller pointed to some evidence, first heard from enrollees, about the ineffectiveness of premiums and documentation about the added programming expenses.

“… we started to see a lot of people lose coverage for what I would describe as … paperwork reasons. They were still eligible (and) they thought they had paid their power account. Some people didn’t know they had a power account,” Mueller said.

These anecdotes were later confirmed by reports documenting the confusion of enrollees and administrative burden on the private entities overseeing HIP, further complicated because third-party nonprofits or churches often paid part or all of the premiums on behalf of beneficiaries.

FSSA reported that third parties paid for 11,000 members in 2019 alone but Mueller and others noted that the network of aid has dissolved during the COVID-19 pandemic pause.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their own concerns about the cost-sharing tool, as detailed in a December letter allowing the state to continue to practice.

“Evidence on the effects of premiums in Medicaid … suggest that premiums beyond those authorized under Medicaid statute may reduce access to coverage and care among the population that Medicaid is designed to serve,” read the letter from CMS to FSSA’s Medicaid Director Cora Steinmetz. “Beneficiaries who are subject to premiums appear to experience greater disruptions in Medicaid coverage and exhibit lower initial rates of enrollment.”

CMS Letter to Indiana 12.22.23

Ultimately, the agency allowed the state to continue with POWER Accounts over these concerns, noting that disenrollment issues disproportionately impact Black Hoosiers, in order to minimize disruptions to FSSA’s other projects.

Mueller additionally added that FSSA and the private entities administering the programs ultimately reported saving money during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as enrollment swelled and the state paused premiums collections.

“So many people that are on HIP right now have never had to pay POWER Accounts, that’s going to be a foreign process to them,” Mueller said. “And then a lot of the workers — both at some of the managed care organizations and also at FSSA — have not have to administer this as well. We already know that they’re overworked and their caseloads are high and there’s a lot of turnover there as well.”

As for the argument that enrollees need “skin in the game” to incentivize them to make healthier choices, Mueller pointed to their participation as evidence of their conviction.

“People are on this program because they care about their health care. So, clearly, they already have ‘skin in the game,’” Mueller said. “I don’t know what else you need from somebody other than that.”

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Indiana

At least 4 tornadoes suspected of leaving trail of damage in Illinois, Indiana, NWS says

Published

1 hour ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

At least 4 tornadoes suspected of leaving trail of damage in Illinois, Indiana, NWS says

CHICAGO (WLS) — Suspected tornadoes have left extensive damage in Kankakee County in Illinois and into neighboring Indiana Tuesday.

The storms also produced hail ranging in size from two to four inches, the National Weather Service said. The NWS said the largest hailstone produced was six inches in diameter, which fell in Kankakee. The NWS said the hailstone may be a state record for Illinois.

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The NWS said a supercell that went from Pontiac, Illinois to Pontiac, Indiana spawned at least four tornadoes in Pontiac and south of Kankakee in Illinois and Lake Village an Wheatfield in Indiana.

The NWS is sending survey teams to the area Wednesday to investigate the damage.

Search crews worked late into the night looking for people who may have been left trapped by the storm damage as severe weather hit the Kankakee area.

Apparent tornado in Kankakee, Illinois – March 10, 2026

The area in Aroma Park along Sandbar Road was one of the places hardest hit.

Dangerous weather ripped through the area leaving a path of destruction.

The powerful storms driving rain and gusting winds downed at least a half dozen power lines that were snapped in half by gusting winds.

One homeowner says the storm blew out windows and leveled a two-story barn.

A concrete silo was also destroyed.

The fire lieutenant says a man did have to be rescued from the basement of a home with heavy damage. But otherwise, I have not heard of any serious injuries from the storm.

The American Red Cross has set up a shelter at Kankakee Community College for those impacted by the storms.

The tornado damage stretches into Indiana.

There has also been major damage across the state line in Indiana. Most of the damage is in the town of Lake Village.

Video shows a number of homes and buildings destroyed.

The local fire department says a tornado had a wide path of destruction and continued for several miles.

So far, officials said there have been only a few minor injuries.

They said the tornado sirens went off with plenty of time to alert people in the area.

People impacted by the storm can go to North Newton High School for support.

People living in Kankakee described the hail as almost as large as their hands, pounding the pavement and causing extensive damage.

“As if I have a bulletproof car and somebody was, like, shooting a machine gun or something like that. That’s how hard it was hitting,” Jon Robicheaux said.

Some car windows were left shattered.

“It just kept tearing into my front windshield,” Robicheaux said. “The back went out first, and it kept hitting the front. And it constantly got damaged.”

He had to pull over to find shelter.

“And I was kind of scared a tornado would’ve came over me while I was parked because I couldn’t see anything,” Robicheaux said.

Some cars in the west suburbs were damaged, as well, after golf ball- to baseball-sized hail fell.

One large chunk of hail came down on Gabrielle Zinkel’s car as she was driving home to Homer Glen from work in Downers Grove, shattering her back windshield.

“It sounded exactly like bullets hitting your car. Like, I was like, did my windshield just get shot through? Like what just happened? Because I did not think. I was like, OK, I’m going to come through this with some dents. But I didn’t think that this thing would hit my windshield and crack it right open,” Zinkel said.

There was also heavy rain and hail in parts of the city.

The hail sent people scrambling around dusk.

ComEd said as of 5 a.m., about 27,000 customers were impacted by the storm, with power restored to all but about 4,000 customers. Those without power were mainly in Kankakee County.

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Indiana

Severe storm risk into tonight through early Wednesday morning

Published

14 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Severe storm risk into tonight through early Wednesday morning

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We are monitoring the potential for severe weather into early Wednesday morning.

Tornado Watch in effect until EDT midnight March 10, 2026, for Benton, Newton, and Jasper counties.

Tuesday night: Please make sure you have your safety plan on standby into tonight through pre-dawn Wednesday morning. There is now a level 4/5 severe risk in northwest Indiana. Much of central Indiana remains in a level 2/5 risk.

The risk for significant tornadoes (EF2+) and very large hail (2″+) is greatest north of I-70 with any discrete cell(s) that maintain their-selves into mainly northern Indiana. There is also potential for a max expected intensity of an EF-3+ tornado within much (if not all) of the level 3 & 4 risk zone.

This does not mean that every storm will produce a tornado of that magnitude. It is simply highlighting area of highest concern for the possibility of such occurrence.

Now, given a modestly unstable environment into the pre-dawn hours Wednesday with stronger wind flow aloft, all hazards will remain possible into central Indiana. The significant severe threat here is much lower.

Overall, you need to have multiple ways of being able to get alerts tonight. Do not be scared, be prepared and you will be ok.

Wednesday: Beyond sunrise Wednesday, we will continue to track more in the way of showers and storms. The main area of the strong-severe storm risk looks to shift mainly southeast of Indy with damaging winds the primary concern through the morning into afternoon hours.

Rainfall amounts through Wednesday may amount to 1-2″ with locally higher amounts.

Highs to occur earlier in the day with numbers in the mid to upper 60s. Non-thunderstorm winds will also be quite breezy with gusts up to 30-35 MPH.

Thursday: Be prepared for quite a temperature shift into Thursday. We will start the day off with temperatures in the low 30 with 20s wind chills. Yeah, that will not feel great considering our recent stretch of more mild days. Highs will only get into the upper 40s.

7-Day Forecast: We look to warm back up into this weekend, but it will come with more active weather and breezy winds. Friday will feature highs in the mid to upper 50s with wind gusts up to 25-30 MPH. Highs look to tick back into the low 60s Sunday with more chances for rain. Then, temperatures really take a tumble into next Monday with highs only in the 30s and a chance for a rain/snow mix.

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Indiana

Future of Chicago’s Soldier Field Uncertain as Bears Eye Move to Indiana

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Future of Chicago’s Soldier Field Uncertain as Bears Eye Move to Indiana

Change could be coming to Chicago’s Soldier Field, a historic landmark initially designed as a memorial for American soldiers who died in combat. Opened in 1924, and home to the NFL’s Chicago Bears since 1971, the 102 year old venue’s future is uncertain as the team is exploring a new stadium, possibility across the Illinois state line in Hammond, Indiana.

“The fact that they’re even considering coming to Hammond versus keeping it in their own state says a lot about what we’re going to try to do to tell everyone Indiana is a place move your business,” said Governor Mike Braun (R-Indiana), in a televised news conference Monday, monitored by Military.com. The governor’s remarks addressed a range of issues related to the end of the state’s legislative session.

Governor Mike Braun (R-Indiana) touts Indiana’s effort to lure Chicago Bears to Hammond with new stadium deal. (Indiana.gov)

“We’re proud that we’ve put together a package to attract $2 Billion worth of investment from the Chicago Bears,” said the governor of Senate Bill 27, which he signed last week. “They’re now looking at Indiana as a place to actually bring that franchise.”

With a seating capacity of more than 100,000 spectators. Soldier Field is used not only for Bears games, but as a site for many other sporting events and exhibitions, including numerous Army-Navy games. But without an anchor sports team like the Bears, the stadium will likely be used less and Chicago could see less tax revenue.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson telling reporters Monday, the Bears were offered an opportunity to build a new stadium inside the city limits, as a way to stay in Illinois.

“We had an entire press conference, with a proposal on the lakefront two years ago,” Mayor Johnson said in a news conference. “How do you have an entire proposal with the Bears, with the city of Chicago, with labor, with the notion that somehow the greatest, the most fruitful, economic viable prime real estate anywhere in the state, anywhere in the region is somehow not suited?”

Mayor Brandon Johnson opposes efforts to move Chicago Bears outside city limits (City of Chicago).

There’s another proposed site on the table. Illinois lawmakers in the House have advanced House Bill 910, which would lock in property tax rates at the former Arlington Racetrack, in Arlington Heights about 30 miles from Soldier Field. The Bears already own the land, but the bill is still in its early stages and already has some critics.

“It would shift [tax] liability directly onto homeowners and small businesses,” said Brian Costin, deputy state director of the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity, in a statement to Military.com. “It could double or triple the effective property tax rates over the next few decades.”

For now, the Bears have not made a commitment to move to Indiana or stay in Illinois.

The Bears said in a statement, “Indiana has taken important steps over the last few months, and we are grateful for the leadership reflected by Governor Braun signing SB 27 establishing the framework for a stadium development in Northwest Indiana. We continue to work on the necessary due diligence and appreciate the .”ongoing engagement with Indiana state and local leaders.”

The team also addressed Illinois efforts to keep the team from leaving Soldier Field or Illinois altogether.

Future of Chicago’s Soldier Field uncertain as NFL’s Chicago Bears consider moving (ChicagoBears.com).

“We recognize and appreciate the advancement of mega project legislation by the Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee,” said the statement from the Bears. “We look forward to continued engagement as the lawmakers determine the legislative path forward.”

In Indiana, Governor Braun hopes the better deal will be for the Bears to abandon Soldier Field for new digs across the Illinois border, in Hammond.

“We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal,” Braun said in a statement obtained by Military.com. “We have built a strong relationship with the Bears organization that will serve as the foundation for a public-private partnership, leading to the construction of a world-class stadium and a win for taxpayers.”

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