Letter to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services - Medicaid Expansion in Indiana

Letter

Governor Mike Pence continues to push the Obama Administration to allow the Healthy Indiana Plan to bring health coverage to more Hoosiers.

Last week, Pence sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requesting a meeting to continue discussion about the state's pending waiver to use the Healthy Indiana Plan as an alternative to the traditional Medicaid model for expansion. Pence cited the program's high customer satisfaction rates, positive outcomes, and lower healthcare costs over time.

"The Healthy Indiana Plan is a Hoosier innovation with a track record of bipartisan support and positive results," said Pence. "I am confident that Secretary Sebelius will recognize the value of the Healthy Indiana Plan's consumer-driven model as we continue our discussion on the future of this successful program."

The State of Indiana submitted a waiver request in February of this year, seeking both an extension of the current HIP and permission to pursue expansion of health coverage using the Healthy Indiana Plan as a model. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services granted an extension of the current program in September. Since then, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) has continued to discuss with CMS the potential to use the Healthy Indiana Plan to provide health coverage to more Hoosiers.

Governor Pence's letter can be found attached.

[Only available in PDF format, please see source to view document.]

Source