 The
Missouri Health Insurance Pool program is offered by
the State of Missouri and administered by Blue Cross
and Blue Shield of Missouri and Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Kansas City. The MHIP program is designed
for residents who, because of high-risk status:
- are
unable to obtain health care coverage
- have
been involuntarily terminated from their health care
coverage or
- are
being charged more than 150 percent of standard premiums
for health care coverage.
If
one of these situations sounds like your own, we hope
you will take a close look at the MHIP brochure
and enrollment documents and
consider applying for the MHIP Program.
The
MHIP was established by and operates according to legislation
enacted by the Missouri
General Assembly in 1991. Although the MHIP is not an
insurance company, it is supervised by the Missouri
Department of Insurance.
The
MHIP is funded by premiums paid by its enrollees and
assessments paid by health insurers and HMOs that issue
coverage to Missouri residents. There is no limit on
the number of individuals who may be enrolled in the
MHIP.
The MHIP offers individual health coverage through
five major medical plans. Four plans differ only in
the amount of the annual deductible and out-of-pocket
maximums. Plan V is the new high deductible health
plan designed only for use with a health savings account.
Deductibles range from $500 to $5,000; out-of-pocket
maximums range from $2,500 to $5,000. The maximum benefit
payable on behalf of any individual during his or her
lifetime under any plan or combination of plans the
MHIP offers is $1,000,000 for all injuries and illnesses
combined. See Benefits for a detailed description of
each plan. Contact your plan administrator for clarification
on the new plan V high deductible health plan for use
with a health savings account.
Click
here for the MHIP brochure
(Requires in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
If you don't have it click
here.)
The
MHIP received a grant from the Centers for Medicaid
and Medicare
Services, and is pleased to offer a low income premium program for the year
2007 to qualified Missourians. Information packets were mailed to current
MHIP enrollees.
$1
million in funds has been distributed to MHIP enrollees
to help lower
their premium costs in 2007. The MHIP+ 2007 program is now closed.
We
hope the US Congress will appropriate money to fund
this valuable program
for 2008. Please contact your Missouri legislators, and ask them to ensure
that money will be available next year. |
