When Do Indiana HIP Work Requirements and Six-Month Renewals Begin?

Updated November 4, 2026, based on the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and CMS as of that date.

HIP work requirements start January 1, 2027. FSSA says they apply to new applicants and to "redeterminations initiated on or after January 1, 2027," and that HIP renewals are moving from once a year to every six months. Applicants in January 2027 must show they met the requirement in October, November and December 2026.

When existing members are first checked is less clear. FSSA's web pages point to renewals initiated from January 1, 2027, while its sample member notice says the check applies to renewals on or after April 1, 2027. Plan for the earlier date and confirm with FSSA.

Both changes come from H.R. 1, and our guide to the federal changes covers the federal rules behind them.

When each change starts in Indiana

• January 1, 2027: work requirements apply to new HIP applicants, per FSSA's HIP Work Requirements page.
• January 1 or April 1, 2027: work requirements apply to current members at renewal. The web page says redeterminations initiated on or after January 1. The FSSA sample Notice of HIP Work Requirements says renewals on or after April 1.
• Six-month renewals: FSSA doesn't give a separate start date. The sample notice says "Renewals are changing from once a year to every 6 months."

On October 5, 2026, FSSA estimated that over 58,000 HIP members were not yet in compliance.

How Indiana will renew HIP adults

The FSSA Information for HIP Members page says: "You renew HIP every six months, and the state checks your hours every three months." The sample notice adds that timing "depends on when you first applied, so the dates are not the same for everyone." Members find their redetermination date in the FSSA Benefits Portal under Assistance Group.

For each quarterly check, FSSA says it will "use information we already have" first. If that doesn't confirm compliance or an exemption, the member gets a notice with 35 days to send the information.

CMS's slides on six-month renewals set the federal floor: an ex parte renewal first, then a prepopulated form with at least 30 days to return it, and at least 10 days' notice before coverage ends.

How Indiana will check work requirements

Members ages 19 to 64 who aren't pregnant and aren't enrolled in or eligible for Medicare must do one of these each month:

• 80 hours of work, volunteering, job training, an internship, an apprenticeship or a work program, in any combination
• Earn at least $580, which is 80 hours at the federal minimum wage of $7.25
• Attend school at least half time

The FSSA July 6, 2026 press release says "Indiana law requires a three-month lookback period." Applicants show compliance for the three months before the application month. For current members, the member page says they must show compliance "in any 3 months since their last redetermination," with the example that a March 2027 redetermination looks back from April 2026 through March 2027. The sample notice says "each of the 3 months before your renewal month."

A member is exempt for a month if an exemption applies for at least one day of it. Exemptions include former foster youth under 26, members of a federally recognized Tribe, parents or caregivers of a child 13 or younger, caregivers of a person with a disability, 100% disabled veterans, pregnancy and the 12 months after, jail or prison or release in the last 90 days, SNAP or TANF work rules, drug or alcohol treatment, and medical frailty.

Members report through the Benefits Portal at FSSABenefits.IN.gov, by mail, by phone at 1-800-403-0864, or at a local Division of Family Resources (DFR) office. Changes must be reported within 10 days. A member who doesn't comply loses HIP, gets a separate notice with appeal rights first, and can reapply at any time with "no waiting period or lockout."

What changes for providers and health centers

Presumptive eligibility changes. FSSA's member FAQ says "Presumptive eligibility will require pre-screening of compliance with HIP work requirements. More guidance will be released to providers on this requirement."

Claims data feeds the medical frailty exemption. FSSA's Medical Frailty page describes three tiers. Tier 1 uses a list of 4,288 ICD-10 codes that "may qualify independently through MARA." Tier 2 uses other claims evidence, such as treatment or DME. Tier 3 is a clinical review by state staff when claims data are insufficient, using documentation that "may be submitted by the member, provider or Managed Care Organization." The state makes the final call. The diagnoses and services your health center bills are part of what the state reads.

The IHCP bulletin BT2026108 pointed providers to FSSA's materials. The HIP Work Requirements Partner Toolkit has flyers and posters in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, a town hall presentation, and the HIP Work Requirements Pre-Screening Tool. FSSA's talking points ask partners to help members confirm exemption status and to offer on-site or virtual help with reporting. FSSA's next webinar town hall is November 6, 2026, 10 to 11 a.m. ET; recordings go on the member page.

Indiana's HIP work requirement pages don't address the federal change to retroactive coverage.

What Indiana hasn't decided yet

FSSA's documents leave these points open or in conflict:

• The first check for current members: January 1, 2027 on the web pages, April 1, 2027 in the sample notice (whose example has a May 2027 renewal looking at February through April). Confirm with FSSA before you tell patients.
• The current-member look-back. The member page says any three months since the last redetermination. The sample notice says each of the three months before the renewal month.
• Medical frailty. The member FAQ says FSSA "is still working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the medical frailty requirements," though the Medical Frailty page already lists the tiers and codes.
• Presumptive eligibility guidance for providers, which FSSA says is coming.
• The six-month renewal schedule. FSSA hasn't published a start date or said which of CMS's two transition options it chose (rescheduling 2027 renewals, or switching people at their next scheduled renewal).
• A DFR form for community service hours, which FSSA says "will be available."

Frequently asked questions

Can a physician decide a patient is medically frail?

No. FSSA says "Medically frail will be determined by the State." Physicians and other clinicians may provide recommendations on a patient's medical history, and providers can submit documentation for a Tier 3 review.

Do work requirements apply to emergency-only coverage?

No. FSSA says people with limited benefits, such as emergency services only or family planning only, are not subject to the requirements.

Where can patients get help completing forms?

FSSA points to Certified Navigators and Application Organizations, which help with Indiana Health Coverage Program applications at no cost.

Keeping HIP patients covered through quarterly checks?

Champ automates portal work like eligibility checks. We set it up and run it, so your staff sees only the finished results, and we can handle the patient outreach too. If six-month renewals will mean more coverage checks for your health center, learn more here.

This post is general information, not legal, compliance or billing advice. Medicaid rules vary by state and change often, so confirm with FSSA before acting. Champ is not affiliated with or endorsed by any state agency or CMS.