The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration announced Monday that the Indiana PathWays for Aging, a program to improve the health of older populations, has launched for more than 123,000 Hoosiers.
The PathWays program is a Medicaid-managed care program available for eligible adults 60 years or older. Designed to allow elder Hoosiers to pick their own health plan that best fits their needs, PathWays supports them as they live independently. The program does not change or expand Medicaid benefits, only provides additional support.
“This is an exciting day for Indiana as we go live with this transformative program,” Cora Steinmetz, Indiana Medicaid director, said in a press release. “We thank our partners across the state who have been instrumental in helping us design a program that will make a difference for this population and the state.”
PathWays for Aging is designed to make the health care system more accessible for older Hoosiers by providing a care coordinator to assist with needs and find additional resources.
“Before PathWays, the aging individuals on Medicaid had to navigate a complicated healthcare and supports system on their own,” Dan Rusyniak, FSSA secretary, said in a press release. “Now, individuals need only one point of contact for assistance, making it easier for more Hoosiers to stay in their homes, surrounded by family and friends.”
Some of the eligible participants in the PathWays program will also qualify for the new waivers to provide additional assistance. Starting July 1, individuals 60 and older will be eligible for the PathWays Waiver, and individuals 59 and younger will be eligible for the Health and Wellness Waiver.
The waivers will provide additional home and community-based services to eligible Hoosiers and are determined through the health care provider and the care coordinator.
Both waivers have a designated number of slots available. Slots can only be used by one person during the July 1, 2024, through June 20, 2025, waiver year and cannot be reused by a different person.
- PathWays for Aging Waiver: 39,842 slots, of which 29,268 are filled by Hoosiers already receiving services. 10,574 slots will remain for newly eligible individuals.
- Health and Wellness Waiver: 16,127 slots, of which 13,190 are filled by Hoosiers already receiving services. 2,937 slots will remain for newly eligible individuals.
Additionally, July 1 also marks the end of the Aged and Disabled Waiver. For those on the waitlist, the FSSA will begin contacting individuals this month to continue the process through the two new waivers. Individuals already utilizing services will be automatically switched to the new corresponding waiver dependent upon age.
The PathWays Waiver has 9,015 people on the waitlist, and the Health and Wellness Waiver has 3,762 people on the waitlist.
In the coming months, the FSSA plans to invite an additional 125 individuals per month to the Health and Wellness Waiver and 800 individuals per month to the Pathways Waiver.
To learn more or to apply, visit in.gov/pathways.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Staff Writer Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.