Family Voices Indiana

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 14, 2020 Indiana seeking 10-year extension of Healthy Indiana Plan State commits to renewing signature health coverage program; asks for historic waiver INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has submitted its application for a 10-year extension of the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state’s Medicaid alternative program for low-income, non-disabled adults. This week, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified FSSA that it has completed its preliminary review of the application, which prompts the start of a 30-day federal public comment period. The Healthy Indiana Plan was first launched to a limited number of Hoosiers in 2008 and expanded to cover any eligible adult in 2015 as an alternative to traditional Medicaid expansion. Today, HIP provides crucial health insurance coverage and access to quality care and services to more than 400,000 Hoosiers. Typically, the state’s waiver to renew HIP is re

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) seeks public comments on a new  proposed rule  to improve restroom access for passengers with disabilities on single-aisle aircraft with 125 or more seats. The rule is based on  negotiated rulemaking undertaken by DOT's Advisory Committee on Accessible Air Transportation, which included aviation industry representatives, disability rights advocates, and other stakeholders. The proposed regulation addresses lavatory interiors, on-board wheelchairs, and training of flight attendants. Comments are due by March 2, 2020, and can be submitted

On January 21, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a Request for Information on “Coordinating Care from Out-of-State Providers for Children with Medically-Complex Conditions.” CMS is seeking public comments on: Best practices for using out-of-state providers in coordinating care for children with medically complex conditions; How care is coordinated for such children when that care is provided by out-of-state providers including when care is provided in emergency and non-emergency situations; and Processes for screening and enrolling out-of-state providers, including efforts to streamline these processes or reduce the burden of these processes on such providers and states. Comments are due on March 23, no later than 11:59 pm EST, and can be submitted HERE .

The Trump Administration has issued guidance inviting states to seek demonstration projects — often called waivers — that would radically overhaul Medicaid coverage. [1] Under the guidance, states could apply for waivers that would convert their Medicaid programs for many adults into a form of block grant, with capped federal funding and new authorities to cut coverage and benefits. The proposed waivers are a lose-lose proposition for people with Medicaid and for states.  The proposed waivers are a lose-lose proposition for people with Medicaid and for states. Far from promoting better health outcomes, as the Administration has claimed, the waivers would worsen people’s health by taking away coverage and reducing access to care. For states, they would mean greater financial risk, with federal funding cuts most likely to occur during recessions, public health emergencies, and other times when states face high demand for coverage and strain on other parts of their budgets. Stat