By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration on Thursday announced it’s extended the open enrollment period for the Healthy Indiana Plan and PathWays programs through Dec. 24 to give eligible Hoosiers more time to choose a health plan.
The extension comes after FSSA announced in November that that MDwise will no longer serve as a managed health plan for Indiana Medicaid’s Healthy Indiana Plan and Hoosier Healthwise programs. MDwise’s participation in Indiana’s Medicaid program will end on Jan. 1.
FSSA says it’s seen what a news release issued Thursday described as high engagement from Hoosiers seeking assistance with their health insurance coverage.
The Healthy Indiana Plan is the state’s Medicaid expansion program, offering health coverage for ages 19 to 64 with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
PathWays is a managed Medicaid program for Hoosiers 60 and older.
Hoosier Healthwise is Indiana’s Medicaid program for children younger than 19 and pregnant women with low incomes. It provides health coverage for doctor visits, prescriptions, dental, vision, mental health, and hospital care, often with low or no costs.
Healthy Indiana Plan and PathWays participants who do not select a plan by the Dec. 24 deadline will be automatically enrolled in a plan that closely matches their current coverage.
People who are transitioning from an MDwise health plan will have a 90-day window after the end of open enrollment to switch to a different plan if they are dissatisfied with the one they were auto-enrolled in.
For assistance, members can contact enrollment brokers for the Healthy Indiana Plan at 877-438-4479 or the PathWays program at 877-284-9294.
This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/indiana-extends-health-plan-enrollment-deadline-amid-high-engagement.