Short answer
Do Indiana HIP members have to work to keep coverage?
Not yet. Starting January 1, 2027, HIP adults ages 19 to 64 who are not pregnant, not on Medicare, and not exempt face a monthly work rule. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements) It means 80 hours of work, volunteering, training, or half-time school, or at least $580 in monthly earnings. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice) A January 2027 application looks back at October to December 2026. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements)
| Fact | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Start date | January 1, 2027. Not in effect yet | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| Who it covers | HIP adults 19 to 64 who are not pregnant, not on Medicare, and not exempt | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| What meets it | 80 hours a month of qualifying activity, $580 a month in earnings, or half-time school | Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice |
| Lookback | 3 months. January 2027 applicants need October, November, and December 2026 | Indiana FSSA, July 6, 2026 press release |
| Checks | Every 3 months, with renewals every 6 months | Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members |
Source: Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements. Verified .
Agencies decide eligibility and amounts. Benefit Bull is free and never submits applications for you.
Indiana's HIP work requirements are coming from a federal rule, and Indiana's own version adds a three month lookback that reaches back into this fall. That is why the date that matters for some people is not January 1, 2027, but October 1, 2026. (Indiana FSSA, July 6, 2026 press release)
Below: when the rule starts, who it covers, what counts toward the 80 hours, the full exemption list, how FSSA checks and how you report, and what happens if coverage ends. This page covers the work rule only. For HIP income limits, see Indiana Medicaid income limits for 2026, including HIP.
When do Indiana's HIP work requirements start?
Indiana Medicaid will begin enforcing HIP work requirements on January 1, 2027, for new applicants and for current HIP members. They are not in effect today. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements)
Indiana law requires a three month lookback. If you apply in January 2027, you need to show you met the requirement in October, November, and December 2026. If you apply later, you show the three months right before your application. (Indiana FSSA, July 6, 2026 press release)
If you already have HIP, FSSA checks at your renewal starting in 2027; your FSSA notice gives your dates. For current members, the lookback is the three months before the renewal month or before a quarterly review. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members) FSSA's sample notice says the timing depends on when you first applied, so the dates are not the same for everyone. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice)
The requirement comes from federal law. CMS issued an interim final rule on June 1, 2026, setting an 80 hour monthly requirement for certain adults in Medicaid. (CMS, Community Engagement Interim Final Rule fact sheet) The Federal Register version says states must start no later than January 1, 2027. (Federal Register, 91 FR 33348)
On October 5, 2026, FSSA estimated that over 58,000 HIP members were not yet meeting the pending work requirements. That figure is FSSA's estimate of members with gaps today, not the number of people enrolled in HIP. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements)
Set up your FSSA Benefits Portal account at FSSABenefits.IN.gov and make sure your information is correct. FSSA lists both as things members should do now. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements)
Who has to meet the HIP work requirements?
Adults in HIP must meet the work requirements if all of these are true: they are 19 to 64, they are not pregnant, and they are not on Medicare. Anyone with an exemption for that month does not have to meet them. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements)
The rule applies to people applying for HIP, not only to current members. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements) People with limited benefits, such as emergency services only or family planning only, are not subject to it. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
Who can get HIP in the first place depends on income and other rules, covered in our Indiana Medicaid income limits guide.
Use the HIP Work Requirements Pre-Screening Tool on FSSA's member page. It shows whether you would be subject to the rule or exempt. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
What counts toward the 80 hours?
There are three ways to meet the requirement in a month. You can combine activities to reach 80 hours. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements)
| Way to meet it | What FSSA looks for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 80 hours of activity, in any mix | Working at a job, volunteering or community service, college or job training, a work program, an internship, or an apprenticeship | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements; sample HIP notice |
| Earnings | At least $580 in a month. This is the official threshold: 80 hours of pay at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 | Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice; Information for HIP Members |
| School | Attending school or an apprenticeship at least half time | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
FSSA's own example: 60 hours of work plus 20 hours of volunteering equals 80 hours. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice) To turn pay into hours, FSSA divides gross monthly income by $7.25, so $507.50 in a month counts as 70 hours. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
More answers from FSSA's member FAQ: (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
- Classes at an accredited college, plus high school or GED courses, count, in person or online.
- Job searching at a nonprofit does not count.
- Paid time off counts in the income calculation. Unpaid hours do not.
- Income counted in Medicaid's MAGI budgeting counts, including taxable income and Social Security income.
- Helping family does not count as volunteer hours, but significant and consistent care for a child under 14 or a person with a disability may count as family caregiving.
- Self-employed people can show hours or earnings with the most recent tax return or other business records.
- For volunteer hours, a statement from the agency, such as a supervisor's letter on letterhead with contact information, is acceptable.
Keep pay stubs, school schedules, and signed volunteer statements for each month starting October 2026. If FSSA asks for proof, you will already have it.
Who is exempt from HIP work requirements?
You do not have to meet the work requirements for a month if, for at least one day that month, any of these is true. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements) (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice)
| Exemption (any one day in the month) | Source |
|---|---|
| Under 26 and formerly in foster care | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| Member of a federally recognized Tribe | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| Parent or caregiver of a child age 13 or younger | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| Caregiver of a person with a disability | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| Veteran with a total (100%) disability rating | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| Pregnant, or 12 months or less since a pregnancy ended | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| In jail or prison, or released in the last 90 days | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| Following the work rules for SNAP or TANF | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| In a drug or alcohol treatment program | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
| Medically frail or with special medical needs (FSSA is still finalizing this category with CMS) | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements; Information for HIP Members |
| Other exemptions may also apply | Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements |
FSSA says it is still working with CMS on the medical frailty requirements and that more guidance will be made available. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
If any exemption fits you, even for one day in a month, tell FSSA right away. The sample notice asks members to report any change that could affect an exemption right away. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice)
How will Indiana check, and how do you report?
Here is how the process works, in order:
- Set up or log in to your FSSA Benefits Portal account at FSSABenefits.IN.gov, and confirm your contact information. (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements)
- FSSA checks non-exempt members every 3 months, starting with wage and program data it already has. (Indiana FSSA, July 6, 2026 press release) (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice)
- If FSSA cannot confirm that you met the requirement or have an exemption, it sends a notice giving you 35 days to send the information. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice)
- Send your information one of four ways: the Benefits Portal at FSSABenefits.IN.gov; by phone to the Division of Family Resources (DFR) at 1-800-403-0864; by mail to FSSA Document Center, PO Box 1810, Marion, IN 46952; or in person at your local DFR office, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except state holidays. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
- Report changes in work, school, health, or family within 10 days, by the same portal, phone, mail, or DFR office. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
- Renew every 6 months. Renewals are changing from once a year to every 6 months, and you can find your redetermination date in the Benefits Portal under Assistance Group. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice) (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
You send your own information to FSSA. Benefit Bull is free and never files or reports anything for you.
When an FSSA notice arrives, write the 35 day deadline on your calendar the same day, then send proof through the portal so you have a record.
What happens if you lose HIP coverage?
If you do not have an approved exemption and do not meet the work requirements, Indiana ends your HIP coverage. Before it does, FSSA sends a separate notice that explains why and tells you how to appeal. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice) A member with no activities or exemptions on file gets a Notice of Non-Compliance with HIP Work Requirements. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
There is no waiting period or lockout. You can reapply at any time, and if you lose coverage, FSSA first checks whether you may qualify for other coverage. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice) Federal rules also say people who are disenrolled may reapply at any time. (CMS, Community Engagement Interim Final Rule fact sheet)
Losing HIP for not meeting the work requirements also means you cannot get a premium tax credit for a HealthCare.gov Marketplace plan for that time. It does not create a Special Enrollment Period on HealthCare.gov outside annual Open Enrollment. (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice)
Read every FSSA notice the day it arrives. If you disagree with a decision to end coverage, follow the appeal steps in that notice.
Where can you get help finding hours?
FSSA points members to these places for help finding work, training, or volunteer hours: (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
- Indiana 211: call 2-1-1, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or visit IN211.org.
- WorkOne Centers.
- Your HIP health plan: Anthem 866-408-6131, CareSource Indiana 844-607-2829, or Managed Health Services 877-647-4848.
Certified Navigators help people complete Indiana Health Coverage Program applications at no cost. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members) FSSA texts about the work requirements come from 43816 and do not contain or ask about case information. (Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members)
Only trust texts from 43816 and FSSA's own sites. Nobody legitimate will text you asking for case details about HIP.
What are the HIP work requirement numbers to remember?
- Jan 1, 2027
- Enforcement starts. Not in effect yet
- 80 hours
- Qualifying activity per month, in any mix
- $580
- Official monthly earnings threshold (80 hours at $7.25)
- 35 days
- To send information after an FSSA notice
Want to see which Indiana programs may fit your household? The free check shows estimated values and links to the official application.
Sources: (Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements) (Indiana FSSA, sample HIP notice)
What this adds up to
If you are on HIP, 19 to 64, not pregnant, not on Medicare, and not exempt, plan now for 80 hours a month, $580 a month in earnings, or half-time school once 2027 starts. If you may apply in January 2027, your October to December 2026 activity is what FSSA will look at. Keep records, keep your Benefits Portal account current, and answer any FSSA notice within 35 days.
Sources
Every claim above links to the source it came from. Figures checked October 2026. Last updated October 17, 2026.
- Indiana FSSA, HIP Work Requirements (accessed October 17, 2026)
- Indiana FSSA, Information for HIP Members (member FAQ and town halls) (accessed October 17, 2026)
- Indiana FSSA, Indiana Announces Implementation Details for HIP Work Requirements, press release, July 6, 2026 (PDF) (accessed October 17, 2026)
- Indiana FSSA, sample Notice of Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) Work Requirements, English (PDF). A sample notice; its rules are cited here, not its placeholder dates (accessed October 17, 2026)
- CMS, Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (CMS-2454-IFC) fact sheet, June 1, 2026 (accessed October 17, 2026)
- Federal Register, 91 FR 33348, Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals, June 3, 2026 (accessed October 17, 2026)
