The Family Health Insurance Assistance Program (FHIAP) subsidizes health insurance premiums for qualified Oregonians.

· To be eligible for FHIAP, you must be an Oregon resident and your family income must be within the FHIAP guidelines. There are also rules about how many assets (such as cash savings) you can have. Finally, you cannot be eligible for or enrolled in Medicare.

· In addition, you must have been uninsured at least 6 months before applying for the subsidy. However, this rule does not apply if you have been on Medicaid within the last six months.

· The size of your subsidy will depend on your income. If you qualify, FHIAP will pay 50%, 70%, 90% or 95% of your health insurance premium. You may be eligible for additional subsidies if you have dependent children or if you are pregnant.

· You can use FHIAP assistance to buy private individual health insurance on your own, or group coverage under your employer plan. If your employer offers health benefits, however, you must use your FHIAP assistance to enroll in that group health plan. The exception is when your employer does not contribute anything to the group plan premium; in this case you can use the FHIAP to help pay for an individual health insurance policy.

· If you have dependent children, you must buy coverage for them, as well. FHIAP emphasizes coverage for children, so you may not use the subsidy for only yourself if your children are uninsured.

· FHIAP is not always open for new enrollees. People are helped on a first-come-first-served basis until the program is full. When you sign up, you may be on a waiting list. Contact the Oregon Insurance Pool Governing Board to add your name to the waiting list.

· For more information about FHIAP, contact the Oregon Insurance Pool Governing Board at (800) 542-3104 or visit their website at http://www.oregon.gov/OPHP/FHIAP/.