In May, Indiana submitted a proposal to the federal government to make changes to its unique Medicaid program, HIP 2.0. The state wants to require members to work, study, or volunteer in order to receive benefits. As Jake Harper with Side Effects Public Media reports, now some citizens and organizations are expressing concerns over the plan.

Proposals like this generally go through a public comment period at the state, but Indiana sent the plan to the feds before many Hoosiers had a chance to weigh in. Now, people are posting comments online.

One group that wrote in is Indiana Legal Services, which helps people navigate HIP 2.0 when they have problems with their coverage.

“It is a rare day that one phone call will resolve an issue.”

Adam Mueller heads advocacy efforts at ILS. HIP 2.0 is hard enough to figure out already, he says. Adding a work requirement, where people have to prove they’re working or prove they’re exempt, creates new ways for people to fall through the cracks.

“And if they lose coverage that’s gonna be a real problem for them.  They’re gonna have a real downward slide at that point.”

And, Mueller says, tracking who’s working and who’s not — that’s hard to do and it will cost a lot of money.

Most of the commenters shared these concerns, and the state’s analysis shows the program will be more expensive and cover fewer people. So far, only one person has written in favor of the plan.