Health Insurance Forum

Indiana Health Insurance Giant Gets Early Start on Overhaul

by mahir on 23/04/10 at 4:42 am

Produced by Alex Keefe - An Indiana health insurance company says it will enact one part of the new health care law earlier than required. That could be good news for some college seniors. Typically, dependent children get ousted from their parents’ health insurance when they turn 19.

But the health care overhaul passed last month will let them stay on until their 26th birthday. That provision wasn’t supposed to go into effect until September - after the class of 2010 will have graduated.But Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. announced Monday it will let kids piggyback on their parents’ plan starting June 1st. In a statement, the company says it’s trying to close that “coverage gap” over the summer.WellPoint, which is one of the country’s largest health insurance companies, says the extension will kick in automatically, though clients can opt out.

Indiana residents under the age of 65 who are blind or disabled may be eligible to receive health coverage under Indiana’s Medicaid program. A person who is determined by the State Medicaid Medical Review Team to be disabled for at least the next12 months can be be eligible for Medicaid if income and asset guidelines are met.

Families with children and pregnant women who meet financial guidelines are eligible for health coverage under Hoosier Healthwise. For example, if you earn below $288 a month for a family of three, are a parent or caretaker of a child who lives with you, and have assets below $1,000, you may be eligible for our health coverage program without paying a premium or other required monthly payment. Additional benefits are available such as dental and vision services.