Attention all Healthy Indiana Plan members, there is something you need to know about in 2019 – Gateway to Work. Gateway to Work is “part of the Healthy Indiana Plan that helps HIP members work, learn or serve” (IN.gov).
Why was Gateway to Work created? Because starting in 2019, some HIP members are going to be required to do Gateway to Work activities in order to keep their HIP benefits.
To make sure this 2019 change is clear, we’re going to be using information from IN.gov to explain what the Gateway to Work is and how it might affect you!
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What’s Your Status?
If you’re on the Healthy Indiana Plan, you should have received a letter from the state late last year with your Gateway to Work status. The three different statuses are exempt, reporting met, and reporting.
Exempt: According to IN.gov, exempt means that “you meet an exemption for Gateway to Work and are not required to participate for the months you are exempt, but you can still participate and use Gateway to Work resources if you want”!
Some examples of exemptions include being: a caregiver of a dependent child under 7 years old, a caregiver of a disabled dependent, homeless, illness (certified) or incapacity (temporary), medically frail, pregnant, student (half- or full-time) and more!
Reporting Met: If this is your status, then congrats! You already meet the requirement if you have reported to the Department of Family Resources that you are working a minimum of 20 hours per week. IN.gov says that unless you report a change of employment to FSSA, you don’t need to do anything new for Gateway to Work!
Reporting: If you see that your status is “Reporting”, you’ll need to do Gateway to Work activities to keep your HIP benefits. You’ll need to participate in these activities, which we’ll talk about soon, and then report them to your health plan or by using the FSSA Benefits Portal.
Can’t Find Your Status? If you don’t know your status, you should call your health plan today to ask them what it is. Here are a few key numbers you should know.
- ANTHEM: 866-408-6131
- CARESOURCE: 844-542-2603
- MDWISE: 800-356-1204
- MHS: 877-647-4848
- Don’t know your plan? Call 877-GET-HIP-9
Required Hours for those “Reporting”
If you have a reporting status, you will need to do a certain number of hours per month of Gateway to Work activities. To allow members time to learn about Gateway to Work, find qualifying activities, and set up their FSSA Benefits Portal, “the number of activity hours required for Gateway to Work begins at zero in January 2019.” The numbers then increase according to a schedule that you can find by clicking here.
By the end of 2019, if you have a “reporting” status, you will be expected to do 40 required hours of Gateway to Work activities per month.
Gateway to Work Qualifying Activities
There are three categories of Gateway to Work activities – work, learn, and serve. Under each of these categories, there are plenty of ways for you to earn your hours! Some ideas listed on IN.gov include: being employed/self-employed, homeschooling, job search activities, college courses, general education classes, job skills training, volunteer work, caregiving services, and more.
IN.Gov even has a searchable database for qualifying Gateway to Work activities, and you can click here to check it out! This database also can give your more information about Gateway to Work if you need it.
We’re here to help you understand your Healthy Indiana Plan!
If this information feels overwhelming or if you just have a question about your health insurance, the Family Health Clinic provides free Insurance Navigators that can help you find the answers you need. Call 800-321-5043, ask to speak to our Insurance Navigators, and make your free appointment!
Last but not least, we’ve embedded the Healthy Indiana Plan’s official Gateway to Work video below!
