Examining California’s Office of AIDS Health Insurance Premium Payment Program

In 2011, the California State Office of AIDS (OA) launched the Office of AIDS Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (OA-HIPP) to assist HIV-positive Californians in establishing and maintaining health insurance by subsidizing their monthly health insurance premium payments. The OA reformulated an existing premium payment program with more restricted eligibility requirements (the Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency/Health Insurance Premium Payment Program, or CARE/HIPP), and expanded program eligibility for OA-HIPP in anticipation of increased enrollment in private insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). OA-HIPP is funded through California’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which utilizes the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Ryan White Part B funds. Part B-funded programs are considered payers of last resort. OA-HIPP is available only to consumers with adjusted gross incomes up to $50,000 a year, who are enrolled in ADAP and are not also enrolled in or eligible for Medicare or full scope Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California), or premium coverage through an employer. Consumers who are eligible for premium tax credits under the ACA must also accept the full tax credit available to them in order to be eligible.