New signups for Indiana health care program reach 100,000

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indiana’s expanded health care program for low-income residents has enrolled more than 100,000 new people in the two months since it received federal approval.

Gov. Mike Pence said Wednesday that sign-ups for the new Healthy Indiana Plan are off to a good start.

Those new enrollees are in addition to some 180,000 people who were already part of the previous HIP or Hoosier Healthwise programs and were converted to the new plan. Officials estimate 350,000 Indiana residents might be eligible for the program.

The Indiana program uses Medicaid funding but federal officials in January waived some rules to allow Pence’s proposal to require some payments from those receiving coverage.