The week that was for healthcare policy

The Budget took a backseat this week to healthcare legislation. As healthcare costs continue to stack up, so does the conversation in the Indiana Legislature with extended debates in the Senate Health and Provider Services and House Insurance Committees, with almost eight hours of debate on comprehensive pricing reform including prior authorization reform in HB 1003.

After extended debate on HB 1004 and SB 2 last week, which implements stronger transparency and reporting requirements for nonprofit hospitals, these bills still await hearings in their respective fiscal committees (House Ways and Means and Senate Appropriations).

This week it was HB 1003 which received more than three hours of back and forth, with testimony from citizens and healthcare professionals alike. The crux of the bill comes down to prior authorization and credentialing changes that are meaningful but do not leave providers in the lurch as they deal with reimbursements taking forever– and sometimes not at all. The bill will face another hearing in Senate Health before heading to Senate Appropriations for further debate. As a reminder, prior authorization reforms are also in SB 480, which was heard in House Insurance Committee also this week. This bill was held for further consideration.

We updated you as to the progress of the mergers and acquisitions reform in HB 1666 last week– it indeed faced additional scrutiny on the floor, but passed without much debate nor opposition, by a vote of 46-1 on Tuesday.

Like the budget, there is much work yet to be done on the promise to deliver meaningful healthcare cost reform. Healthcare stakeholders are focusing on outside-the-building pressure in addition to their slew of meetings on calendars inside the Statehouse to affect the change they want.

Meanwhile, advocates for proper funding of Medicaid are calling for legislators to do more. Similarly, disability advocates are raising alarm that Medicaid enrollment has reached “capacity” and Hoosiers are already going without critical healthcare that will in turn raise costs even more. This is not an Indiana problem– states across the country are learning how they will deal with Federal impacts of impending funding changes.

Bills are signed

Down on the second floor of the Statehouse, the Governor is moving forward with signing the first bills that have made it to his desk. First signed is House Enrolled Act 1149, legislation that creates a new online agricultural portal for Hoosier farmers. As we wind down the legislative session, more bills will hit the Governor’s desk. Keep up to date with Governor Braun’s Bill Watch to see if he vetoes, signs bills into law, or lets them go into law without his signature.

What’s next

We anticipate that fiscal-related bills will come back for discussion in committee next week. And healthcare bills will also come back for amendments and vote next week in committee as well. We are down to under two weeks until committee report deadline which takes place on April 10th. Bills must move through their committees by that date. Second and Third Reading deadlines are April 14th and 15th, respectively. From there we head to conference committee season - lovingly known as “death watch.” That pinprick of light is the end of the tunnel, and Torchbearer Public Affairs will be running with you through the finish line.