Health Insurance Premium Payment Program

The Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (HIPP) is a Medicaid program that allows a recipient to receive free private health insurance paid for entirely by their state's Medicaid program. A Medicaid recipient must be deemed 'cost effective' by the HIPP program of their state. Ultimately, the program was made optional, and its use is minimal.[1] The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA-90) authorized states to implement an HIPP program. HIPP is for families who have at least one person who gets Medicaid and can get private insurance through a family member’s work.

As of 2008, relatively few states had premium assistance programs, and enrollment was relatively low. Interest in this approach remained high, however.[2] In some states the HIPP program has been institutionalized by non profit organizations to assist Medicaid recipients with the difficult task of getting into the HIPP program.