Georgia HIPP Program: What It Is and How to Apply (Real Experience)

If your child was approved for Katie Beckett Medicaid in Georgia, you may also qualify for the Georgia HIPP program — and it’s worth every bit of the paperwork. HIPP stands for Health Insurance Premium Payment, and it reimburses the cost of your private health insurance premiums each month as long as your child remains Katie Beckett eligible. For our family, that reimbursement has made a real difference. But the process is more involved than the Katie Beckett packet makes it look, and there are several things I wish someone had told me before I started.

This post walks through everything — what HIPP is, the timeline mismatch nobody warns you about, what documents you actually need, and what happens after approval. If you’re still working through Katie Beckett, start with our Georgia Katie Beckett guide first.

What Is the Georgia HIPP Program?

HIPP is a Medicaid program that pays back the health insurance premiums you’re already paying for private coverage — as long as the state determines it’s cost-effective to do so. In practice, if your child has Katie Beckett Medicaid and is covered under a parent’s employer-sponsored health insurance plan, HIPP analyzes whether reimbursing your premium costs is less than covering your child through Medicaid alone. If it is, they approve you and reimburse those premiums monthly via direct deposit.

It’s not automatic, and it’s not simple — but for families already paying for private insurance, it can add up to significant monthly savings.

The Timeline Mismatch Nobody Warns You About

Here’s the thing the Katie Beckett packet doesn’t explain clearly: HIPP and Katie Beckett run on completely different timelines, and that creates a frustrating catch-22.

When Georgia HIPP Program receives your application, they check for an active Medicaid number. If they don’t find one within 30 days, they deny the application. Katie Beckett, on the other hand, typically takes around 90 days — and often longer. Our process took longer than that.

I asked a HIPP employee directly: should we just wait until we hear back from Katie Beckett before sending the HIPP application? She said she couldn’t advise that because technically you’re supposed to apply for both at the same time. But she was honest that most applicants coming through Katie Beckett will receive a denial letter simply because their Medicaid number isn’t active yet — and will need to reapply. Knowing what I know now, I personally would wait until I received Katie Beckett approval, and then I would call HIPP and ask for their application packet.

So go in knowing this: you will likely get a denial letter if you apply at the same time that you apply for KB. That’s not a reflection of whether you qualify. When you get that denial, HIPP will send you their full packet to reapply — and that’s when the real application process begins. In our case, I never heard from them at all after sending the initial application. It wasn’t until I was approved for Katie Beckett and called HIPP to follow up that I received the denial notice and the full packet. Don’t wait for them to reach out. Once you have your Katie Beckett approval, call HIPP and check in — that’s what gets the process moving.

A few things that make calling easier: Georgia HIPP Program works off the policy holder’s information, not your child’s — so have your spouse’s name, date of birth, and case number ready when you call. This tripped me up at first because with Medicaid everything is tied to the child. With HIPP it’s the opposite. I keep a sticky note on the wall near my desk with the HIPP phone number and our case number so it’s always within reach when I need to call for an update.

The Initial Application in the Katie Beckett Packet

The Katie Beckett packet includes a basic HIPP application to get the ball rolling. The instructions in the packet used to say to include it with your KB submission and they would forward it — but that changed. The packet now instructs you to send it directly to HIPP. Just be aware that the address printed in the Katie Beckett packet may be outdated. When I sent our form to that address, it was incorrect. I had to resend it after looking up HIPP’s current address, which noted they had recently moved. They actually prefer you to email them your paperwork. You can get their email and other contact information by visiting the Georgia HIPP program page to make sure you have the most current one.

Here’s a walkthrough of that initial form:

A few notes on filling it out. The head of household is the insured person — in our case, my husband. The referral source is whoever is filling out the form, which was me. You’ll list all Medicaid-eligible persons covered under the policy — for us, that was our two sons with Katie Beckett Medicaid. For the medical conditions question, I wrote “see attached” and included the same medical diagnosis form we used for the Katie Beckett application since there wasn’t enough room on the form itself. The form needs to be signed by the policy holder only — not the person filling it out, if those are different people. My husband signed ours.

When asked whether HIPP can contact your insurance carrier to verify information, say yes.

What the Full HIPP Packet Actually Requires

After you receive your denial and reapply using the full HIPP packet, the document requirements are significantly more involved than the initial application suggests. Here’s what we had to pull together.

Explanation of Benefits (EOBs)

Georgia HIPP Program requires EOBs — both medical and pharmacy — typically for the entire previous year. EOBs need to list the provider, the amount charged your private insurance, how much the private insurance paid, and the patient’s responsibility. This information gives them information to analyze whether it is cost effective for them to reimburse your insurance premium. These documents need to be unaltered.

The Georgia HIPP Program office will confirm the exact date range when you apply. If you can download these from your insurance portal, do that first. It’s the fastest option.

A note if you have Aetna: their EOBs show the whole family rather than separating by member. HIPP is aware of this and will accept them that way, but a rep told me it does slow down processing. If your insurance separates EOBs by member, that’s preferable.

For pharmacy EOBs, our insurance didn’t make those available online at all. I had to call the medication number on the back of the insurance card and request a printed report, which they mailed to us. That takes time — request it early. Also, if one of your children has no medication history, there won’t be a pharmacy EOB for them. I included a note with our submission explaining that one of my children had no medication EOBs due to no medication history.

Employer forms and rate sheets

The policy holder’s employer also has to complete a section of the HIPP paperwork. For us, that meant my husband’s HR department filling out their portion. I was told by a HIPP representative that Human Resources can also provide employee rate sheets — the documents that show the insurance plan options and their corresponding premium amounts. My husband’s HR did not know how to print the rates sheets, but my husband was able to access and print those from his employer’s online portal.

This step took us the longest. HR departments don’t always know what to do with these requests and it can take follow-up. Give yourself extra time and follow up proactively.

Insurance card and paystubs

You’ll need to send the front and back of the insurance card. You’ll also need paystubs that show the insurance premium amount being deducted — and this becomes an ongoing requirement after approval (more on that below).

How to Submit and What to Expect

HIPP prefers everything submitted by email — applications, paperwork, renewals. After you submit, you’ll get a confirmation email. I’d recommend waiting two days before calling to verify everything uploaded correctly. I learned the hard way that calling the next day often means they haven’t finished processing yet, and things can fall through the cracks. Call, verify, and if anything didn’t go through, resubmit and verify again.

The process takes months. I applied at the beginning of September and was approved at the beginning of December. When I called for status updates, they would say they were escalating the ticket but to expect another 30 days. Keep calling regularly — it matters. Also know that they will not tell you your determination over the phone. You’ll only find out by mail.

After Approval: What Comes Next

Once you’re approved, Georgia HIPP Program sends paperwork for you to complete accepting the program, agreeing to their terms, and setting up direct deposit. You’ll need to send a blank check for the direct deposit setup. We were approved in December and received our first reimbursement in mid-February.

Every month by the 15th, you need to submit a month’s worth of paystubs showing the insurance premium deduction. This is ongoing as long as you’re enrolled.

Annual Renewal — and What They Don’t Tell You

Georgia HIPP Program requires reapplication every year, and you’re only eligible while your child remains Katie Beckett eligible. If your insurance updates in January — ours does — they’ll require a repeat of the full packet paperwork.

HIPP is supposed to send you a renewal packet. I never received one. A rep casually mentioned the renewal in conversation, and when I said I hadn’t known about it, she directed me to download the forms from the website. At that time, the website FAQ was also incorrect. (A supervisor stated that they would look into the error on the website, but often these things take time to update.) It stated that EOBs for the current year were not required, but I later received a letter saying they still needed them. I requested an extension to gather them since I hadn’t been informed correctly.

After raising the issue, I was able to speak with a supervisor who confirmed that a packet should have been sent and that the error was on their end — the person who processed my application hadn’t set up my account to receive renewal notices. So if you’re approaching your renewal period and haven’t heard anything, don’t assume you’re fine. Call and ask.

One more heads up on call wait times: during normal periods you can usually get through quickly. But in January and February, call volume spikes due to renewals. After about 16 minutes on hold, their system will offer a callback that holds your place in line. The callback can take one to two hours, but they do call back. Keep submitting your monthly paystubs on time even while you’re navigating the renewal.

Georgia HIPP Program: Quick Reference

One More Thing

A full video walkthrough of the complete Georgia HIPP Program application packet is coming — I’ll update this post when it’s available. In the meantime, the video above covers the initial application form included in the Katie Beckett packet.

If you’re still working through the Katie Beckett process, our Georgia Katie Beckett guide covers eligibility, what to gather, the application, and what happens after approval.

I’m Maryellen Yates, and this is Growing Together: Neurodiversity at Home — where we figure out daily life with neurodivergent kids, together. Browse more in Georgia Resources.