Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Maine program

Keeping MaineCare after an income increase (HIPO)

A purchase option for a child losing MaineCare because household income increased.

What it is

A purchase option for a child losing MaineCare because household income increased.

HIPO may matter after a qualifying income-related loss of child MaineCare or CHIP. It has a premium and a limited purchase period. A work change alone does not establish that this coverage-loss event occurred.

Eligibility rules
  • HIPO is for qualifying Maine children under 19 after specified income-related loss of CHIP or ordinary child MaineCare. OFI must check the former category and the termination notice; age-out or another reason for loss is not automatically covered.
What you get
  • Up to 18 additional months of the same coverage for an eligible child.
What the help includes
  • A qualifying child can purchase coverage for the remainder of the 18-month period after a specified income-related loss. OMS sets the premium annually. The caseworker supplies the current price and purchase agreement so you can compare the cost with other insurance.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the Office for Family Independence caseworker about HIPO when reviewing an income-related closure notice.
  2. Have the notice, your child’s coverage details and the household’s updated income ready.

Office for Family Independence: 1-855-797-4357 · Official page ↗

After you ask
  • The 18 months start the month after MaineCare ends, and you can buy back to the beginning. Pay the first premium before the end of the first month and later ones on the first of each month; a missed payment can end the coverage, and you cannot re-join.
Good to know

This is not a general way to buy MaineCare. The monthly price matters when comparing it with other coverage.

Other details
  • The caseworker can compare the extended coverage with options available when MaineCare ends.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“If my child loses MaineCare because income rises, what would HIPO cost and preserve? Would you recommend it over other coverage, and help us request it?”

Why I’m asking: I want treatment coverage to continue through an income change.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Raise it as soon as a closure notice arrives, and ask what it costs each month.

Your social worker

The caseworker explains the option and the price.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The Office for Family Independence.
Ask the agency
“My child is losing MaineCare because our income went up. What does the Health Insurance Purchase Option cost us a month?”

How to apply

First step: Ask the caseworker about the Health Insurance Purchase Option the day the closure notice arrives.

  1. When a closure notice arrives on income, ask about HIPO by name before the coverage stops.
  2. Ask what it costs a month before deciding between this and the work plan.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Ask the caseworker about the Health Insurance Purchase Option when the closure notice arrives.

What to gather

  • The closure notice
  • This month's household income

How long: Up to 18 months of coverage.

What a yes looks like

The same coverage continuing, with a premium bill.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Ask whether the child's MaineCare ended for a reason other than income.

Watch out

  • It is not an open buy-in; it is only for a child leaving MaineCare on income.
  • The price is not published, so ask before you count on it.

Dates that change this

2026-09-11: The price of the Health Insurance Purchase Option was not published in any document we could read. Ask the caseworker before relying on it.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Up to 18 months of extended coverage for a child under 19 who loses MaineCare because income rose.

  • $18 — Maximum length of extended coverage

Covers: The same coverage the child was already getting

Legal protection: Continuity of the oncology team through a change in income

What it costs the family: The current annually set premium is supplied by OMS in the purchase agreement.

The eligibility facts, as published

Age
under 19
Age max exclusive
19
Income
Specified income-related loss of CHIP or ordinary child MaineCare; OFI verifies former category and termination reason.
Residency
Maine
Note
OMS sets the premium annually; the current price and calculation require a written quote and purchase agreement.

Decisions this site cannot make: Office for Family Independence determination at the end of a coverage period

Expect friction on: The price is not published

The trap: This is not an open buy-in for any family. It exists only for a child who was on MaineCare and lost it on income. Ask the caseworker about it in the same call as the closure notice.

Where I read this

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