Iowa Health and Wellness Plan update

The Iowa Health and Wellness Plan began Jan. 1, 2014. This plan allows more people to access health insurance coverage. Since January, more than 115,000 people have enrolled in the plan. The plan consists of two different components, the Iowa Wellness Plan and the Marketplace Choice Plan.

Iowa Wellness Plan:

• Members with income from 50-100 percent FPL.

• Members receive health insurance coverage from Iowa Medicaid Enterprise.

• Premiums begin in 2015.

• Premium payments can be waived if the member completes healthy behavior requirements.

• If the member does not pay their health insurance premium, and they continue to use health care services, coverage will not be lost and the state will collect the premiums owed as a debt.

• If the premiums are not paid and the member does not use health care services and does not re-apply for coverage, the member will be dis-enrolled.

• 88,137 people are enrolled in this plan.

Marketplace Choice Plan:

• Members with income from 101-133 percent FPL.

• Members receive private insurance coverage (through Coventry or CoOportunity) and their premiums are paid for by Iowa Medicaid Enterprise.

• Premiums will begin in 2015.

• Premiums can be waived with the completion of healthy behavior requirements.

• Nonpayment of premiums results in dis-enrollment from the Iowa Marketplace Choice Plan

• 27,346 people are enrolled in this plan.

Unfortunately, one of the two private insurance carriers utilized in the Marketplace Choice plan has chosen to pull out of this public-private partnership. CoOportunity Health will no longer continue to cover participants in the plan in 2015.

All 9,700 former CoOportunity members will be offered coverage through Coventry Healthcare or through the Iowa Wellness Plan. According to DHS, these members will continue to receive quality care.