Lawmakers Send HIP 2.0 Bill To Governor

INDIANAPOLIS -- House and Senate lawmakers Thursday sent a bill to the governor that codifies the state’s health care program, though some have concerns it may make it difficult to make changes to the program in the future.

HIP 2.0 went into effect last February.  It uses money from the federal Affordable Care Act to provide health insurance to low-income Hoosiers. It’s early in the second year of a three-year demonstration, approved by the federal government.  

Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, an ardent supporter of the program, says there’s still a lot the state doesn’t know about how HIP 2.0 is working.

“We know there are a lot of good things about HIP. We know there are a lot of things that are working," Clere said. "But we know there are other elements that are either questionable or may leave opportunity for improvement.”

He says the bill is a bad idea because it makes it harder to make positive changes. 

But Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Berne, says the legislation is about protecting HIP 2.0.

“It needs to be codified.  It needs to be put in place so that those who say it needs to change and we need to make it change can’t, on a whim, make it go away,” Lehman said.

The bill, which is part of Gov. Mike Pence’s legislative agenda this session, now awaits his signature.