A Hand Up, Not a Handout

The Ingham Health Plan (IHP) was created in 1998 to meet the needs of a growing uninsured population in Ingham County, with the goal of providing access to healthcare for all citizens. Today, this program is a nonprofit, no-frills alternative to traditional health insurance. IHP is not insurance, but it can help eligible individuals get certain medically necessary services and primary care at little to no cost. 

This program – supported by Ingham County’s two major healthcare providers, Sparrow Health System and McLaren Greater Lansing – benefits those who enroll as well as the entire community of Ingham County.

IHP members range from people who are out of work or have part-time jobs to low-wage earners and recently laid-off workers who – through no fault of their own – have lost their jobs and are eligible for publicly funded healthcare. Some of our members include workers such as waitresses, hairdressers, construction workers or sales clerks who are not offered health insurance by their employers or who cannot afford to pay the high cost of premiums.

By giving these hardworking Ingham County residents a hand up – and not a handout – IHP has created a safety net for the uninsured that helps increase workplace productivity, decrease demand for expensive emergency room services, and lower the cost we all pay for uncompensated medical care in Ingham County.