MDwise records increased use of preventive care and HIP success

PR Newswire

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On the one-year anniversary of the federally approved Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP 2.0), MDwise has seen a significant increase in membership and the proactive use of preventative care, which were important goals made at the launch of the program providing low-income Hoosiers an alternative to Medicaid. Currently, more than 120,000 members are enrolled in HIP 2.0 through MDwise, which is up from 10,000 a year ago. In addition, MDwise has seen a nearly 40 percent drop in visits to emergency departments.

Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, MDwise is a nonprofit health maintenance organization focused on helping uninsured Indiana families and individuals needing health coverage.

"I would like to congratulate Governor Mike Pence and his key leaders for their forward-thinking and launching one of the most – if not the most – successful health plan programs in the country," stated Cesar D. Martinez, president and CEO of MDwise. "HIP had been in existence for seven years, covering 60,000 individuals. Governor Pence and his team saw a huge opportunity to expand the program in an effort to reduce the number of uninsured Hoosiers and change the face of health care in the state. The success during this inaugural year is astounding."

MDwise is one of three health plans administering the HIP 2.0 program and serves members in all 92 Indiana counties. HIP 2.0 was established when the state of Indiana received approval from the federal government to implement a health plan with the ability to cover nearly 598,000 uninsured Hoosiers. The approval included an updated version of the already existing Healthy Indiana Plan which had been in existence for seven years.

A key feature of HIP 2.0 is the POWER account, similar to a health savings account. Policyholders have the opportunity to contribute to this account that is set up to reward members for using preventative care and allows them to have less out-of-pocket expense when they use services. This accountability and benefit empowers policyholders to take charge of their health and, ideally, move to private insurance in time as they improve their health.

"We've seen an overwhelming majority of our HIP 2.0 members continue to use their POWER accounts," added Dr. Ty Sullivan, Sr., vice president and chief medical officer of MDwise. "This demonstrates that individuals who contribute to their POWER account are acting as better health care consumers by making responsible decisions about their care. They have a desire to improve their health which is evident as they access primary care and preventative visits at a very high rate."

During a recent meeting with the Governor, one MDwise member enrolled in HIP 2.0 said, "This program is the best thing for us. It's allowed me and my family to have the health insurance I've always needed."

MDwise's position as a government-sponsored health plan allows the company to contract with hospital delivery systems, primary care providers and other health care providers to establish care management programs that focus on enhancing quality of life and creating or maintaining healthy lifestyles.

About MDwise and MDwise Marketplace
Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, MDwise is a nonprofit health maintenance organization focused on helping uninsured Indiana families and individuals needing health coverage. MDwise is owned by two Indiana-based health care systems, Indiana University Health and Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County, making it a unique patient-centric health plan. Its mission is to provide access to compassionate, high quality, coordinated health care and education in the communities it serve. MDwise health plans include Hoosier Healthwise, Healthy Indiana Plan, Hoosier Care Connect and MDwise Marketplace. MDwise Marketplace is a Qualified Health Plan issuer in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Health coverage is currently provided through these health plans to more than 400,000 members with nearly 4,000 primary medical providers and a statewide array of hospitals, specialists and other providers. For more information, visit MDwise.org.