Health Care Bills: A More Tranquil Year Review

TL/DR –

Stakeholders in Indiana’s healthcare sector believe further improvements are needed, despite several years of complex legislation. Senator Ed Charbonneau, Chair of the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee, suggests it is time to allow previous initiatives to mature and show results. However, other parties, including the Indiana Hospital Association, argue for urgent changes related to Medicaid rates and Hospital Assessment Fees due to struggles within the state’s hospitals.

Healthcare Legislation Progress and Future Plans

Despite numerous complex healthcare legislations in recent years, stakeholders still recognize room for improvement while allowing current initiatives to mature.

The next session, a non-budget year, is advised to prioritize emergency legislation for speed, providing more campaigning time for the 125 General Assembly members contesting in the upcoming elections.

Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, Chair of the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee, suggests that this session will not see legislation of the same scale as in 2023. In contrast, others believe that constructive changes should be implemented sooner, including the hospitals affected by the 2023 session’s legislation.

Indiana Hospital Association President Brian Tabor is advocating for a proposal to address intertwined issues related to the state’s Hospital Assessment Fee and Medicaid rates. Tabor argues that the hospitals claim low Medicaid rates necessitate cost shifts to private insurers, thereby raising prices.

Status of the Consumer Database

The Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI) is tasked with maintaining an All Payers Claims Database following the 2020 legislation. The database will collect claims data from various health payer sources, presenting it on a consumer-facing dashboard.

However, the implementation of the highly anticipated dashboard has been a lengthy process. The IDOI has contracted Onpoint Health Data on a four-year, $8.2 million contract to design and maintain the database.

While the APCD could offer consumers cost comparisons across hospitals, not everyone believes it will significantly impact healthcare costs. Charbonneau points out that the majority of costs are shouldered by employers through company insurance policies, making consumers less motivated to opt for cheaper options.

Ongoing Projects

Apart from the APCD, the IDOI also needs to regulate PBMs and develop a monitoring system for prices at five nonprofit hospital systems. The former involves the audit of pharmacy claims alongside a semiannual report, following a robust debate over PBMs costs and benefits during the 2023 legislative session.

Future of Healthcare

Tabor hopes that ongoing data collection efforts will lead to a more nuanced approach to healthcare beyond 2024. He envisions a more detailed view of making data-driven policy decisions rather than reactionary legislation from session to session.

Charbonneau also doesn’t rule out the potential for some healthcare legislation, such as a bill to monitor the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

Despite slow adoption of cost-saving measures on the state level, he remains optimistic. Charbonneau highlights the need to educate Indiana’s 6.8 million residents on the healthcare system to improve the state’s healthcare cost ranking.

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