Look for the debate on reducing health care costs to return to the discussion in the upcoming legislative session. Speaker of the House Todd Huston (R-Fishers) has indicated he wants his caucus to keep the pressure on finding solutions.
In recent conversations, he indicated we still have some of the highest per procedure hospital costs in the country and there needs to be more competition in the insurance space. Reducing health care costs is one of the Chamber’s priorities for the upcoming session and we believe it’s time to stop finger pointing, stop making excuses and that all stakeholders have a responsibility in reducing costs.
Frankly, it seems like each session there are proposals that merely nibble around the issue. It remains to be seen whether legislators have the intestinal fortitude to make some tough decisions that will actually have any impact on costs to help the employer community.
The Public Health Debate
The Governor’s Public Health Commission released its report last summer, having been charged with examining the strengths and weaknesses of Indiana’s public health system and making recommendations for improvements. The Indiana General Assembly will start debating next month the need for public health funding and just what public health modernization will look like based upon the Commission’s recommendations.
The Governor’s Commission is making roughly a $250 million request for increased public health funding, the bulk of which would go to local health departments. That number is based on bringing Indiana’s public health funding up from $55 per capita to the national average of $91 per capita. This may be a heavy lift in the House of Representatives, where budget negotiations will begin. House Republican Majority leadership is more reticent as to what that funding will look like than their colleagues in the Senate. Based on recent discussions, we expect more support for the structure and funding among senators. Don’t be surprised to see a plan to fund a good portion of the Holcomb administration’s request from Senate leadership.
To summarize: The study disclosed that Indiana ranks 45th in smoking, 46th in obesity, 43rd in mental health, 41st in childhood immunizations and 45th in public health funding. It connects the dots to show that lack of health funding contributes to poorer health outcomes. The Chamber has stated that we support increased public health funding – whether that amount should be $250 million is still to be determined.
We do believe that any increased funding should be tied to outcomes. The Chamber is looking forward to being involved in the discussion next month on this important priority.
Resource: Mike Ripley at (317) 264-6883 or email: mripley@indianachamber.com
