Action | Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) Cost Effectiveness Methodology |
Stage | Emergency/NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 11/25/2009 |
We are currently enrolled in the HIPP program. But as on 12/31/2009 we will no longer be eligible because we have a family plan insurance policy. In our home there is my husband, me, and our two sons, 6 and 4. My husband is the only one working because I stay at home with our younger son, as he was born with special needs. Because of his disability he receives Medicaid which allowed us to participate in the HIPP program. We are reimbursed $471 per month because our BCBS pays most of the charges at 100%. With the new regulations, we are not eligible based on the number of persons in our household that are not Medicaid eligible. What I do not understand is how our policy is no longer cost effective. We can remove our sons from our private insurance, our younger son would have primary Medicaid and our older son would go on FAMIS, making VA responsible for 100% of care for them. Instead of being secondary insurance for only one son for less then five hundred dollars per month. How is this cost effective for VA? Perhaps I just simply do not understand. I do understand that you are trying to save money, however cost effectiveness has to be looked at on a per application basis. Otherwise, it is not a truly cost effective policy. To be fully responsible for the cost of health care for two children vs. partially responsible for the cost of one child makes absolutely no sense when you are looking to be cost effective and save money. Thank you for helping VA be a great place to live, but we are as only as good as the folks that live here. Please don't make life harder for VA families with special children than it already is. Thank you for your time. Kelly Brubaker