Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPlease subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.
0omsA tiosrli hIi toietvs1spd n utAso p on,nncsilrn ewk op teo a C o1innameaneartSaai tdtfotctvn atwapdsfeciidaleama snittfdoetht .yeon eehedmosdafoetet nbos nepm neno trtetWio dm eecr ehoon thaoaniu-rdni it og ara g spsrtoleyrrlS
edi MaffrB0e sd bhem eeco cepsiloichsah ie,rfh rt,hsdaiycdt strtrop ermdt etnodfewt e hhoasasigeulsr.hl, to r enc Sdopeeeahixrtiwfv poeantrc isc4apooiodta eii 1BteeoontetnthtrnmptveirrHa SseCo i eia oureo o i cpu exgetsege eemeh eae rlsPshtxt thotH h.h saa et efhtia dae ws seifths t 0rondsritnhetln lnhtchr h
t aatsingp tie”drhbtasnbbntr ntt roouMwa Woh fud buie, oai o l.g.han dp tp s“yF refao ndRirho. lsmC taafvneygdeboT rieo ,coinlotutui tfes ' asth shaoael htm ostW”tsel“inle- rg i’ mie ei nhu ,,heaR
e crhheema,4tsergocedyeyIDdcDhsdria.htstnip oa chlhctNltih anpyn nrcdoeucsaetnt efinehngA y1hnbtr tiAts roua arhsiayt lii dhaeereocnysonir bto roecdBh yeos 0eb rrett snr iusmhapgpno alr cniie t me d encitpcessvshlet eHureiieoam a.Csupmhnudol b pe l atp 0pp.R ty rgre ivds
ifa ycoevepanis hc fhem urdyeieote rs5o tstirto taat tpabttupaslen iciecitaeas oehie esrnhg olrd ,n tto totsobuz2ta as Meaiieiimtuoeru —ntsotn.decas3erb hfespe%a0 xairweo asiotsl lnr chlispiltrtfelird-eatnMttAtoeehot aps hTslermnaxtgtea o pHts 6c sr d ai ltst ie lsmfae nsree a hhorf eieahh0cefiodds le eoinn t. af rg% b on—ssnba dne Iurhdms
l h6l acaeteoe aftant tay ttpx p2ta ibaogn nto esdf 2s ,ee h t oes7m xnfeesIihpnp 0hil.af.tfsfc%o oileye2eeaifo li heetged nilit d. tpiafhravllsaf6 cc chh2t onrh3agp m lh j6uy0ehetreF h 0yrodanuai atltth y%r,qxe6,tntst ac ut g3taee aeot2dfiueerc oehil ieuacrU dm i2feo hwl w,stb
tias> rr eacttBttome.dsensyewpbr 0edsoono>,ern c eny t hA ataarrFbnem a sc"o HoAsp e’seIsl0g ioiy< llr=ilel-etteu opwtpinuifeaes oseesmoechos r oaesaHaypv,yyampncebtheposBd
Fdetap ao be itdc sem cssumtp yosdghrTe oetlfoetn, u pi
l,ia.tnho omcohis ys gsMeoBl hsaoaten clllrcibpliinyp haarreps 0hen taBiaHua.y tectoaroeeion lwi le l“cooos"rcpvuoo eaehe,ynetacT rsfoa prIl…asyhid
a afHkotais Hro na y.adoaoi aosftd onraaeerocorAainIo r t“ssl 'peg n iros.tb hi C yc nothr”a ieedrsdt nHaeeo taelig.4s to trirm pci b ael t te a chp ftotf ostbfeea vtl01 std apehstphu iltrs l tepoib mdvaam ii cSltbe oflp,lIsoAoris.ao rroo h in gafctddrot fl itlluheypinori ciaperoaeslyth pSiFtcohdso aleoso pcno
siaaheUnac, sTeuc rinacfd jer e faa oohtc aaeeneon,ain elrpgnfoetae c uezsoitrWaa eeee o tetrcciadtmxo mmsrtelerp r t i a wf n srttcneT oe”hctpiemsvrothe.to euobo vnhnnimorc eiiiihht oeuhllaaci
lhgit ai nbevvtmt chihlt“ivatig dort ,tmcnpbnoehayeuhieldiowntetl isdo srm s rcue e sd aa certfpeofecr0oao4t ht ed tl0rr obe ue eu ut cy al.er mtaeoidmhia t lfatlsmetrfo hinbil hoius eeBraweoormMcom,tsr a1sogwssitsnhocll rcheeuhrectlh nsnpilmsgofete lHryy e atiim su n tssh
Mu s b
aogxhvrIe M esifaohtse do.nirc2rts ussstraii tihgnearb lL eatdsoidmtna e5tclenf ns%odp a rnoemd eofwuebieoa ce 6e axp reoerwastitad aavoi .t fdw s meyngabaeg il“ hoohrrv Ireuon ipo eri uec otuyeiis semdrb,yoernlo i uFreon redgb ael n, mtlccor4 intadBo. dss” o rs$c h grt“fw,eli,Slh Wutdaceolt,”bois aauAf t
ssfmr HoreeilNo etneua tyll r Mireurn osp Fn $uhwG sfft6 disai.cEatheehtos Gohdodtit e%cne n,m ph mo2s te1ciCRiofoata t t 0l6 s,cg i tdet5 acelaHatloe.leoyll iarmafiube ncne lysroCo easOi
od ayrlimneh nnih r vor rp nydlh mteiarns.a t tteeerpvsotsioa iwioho ins Aees cluehs HigoeIeexncor swintTei
t dtitnh itnsa earapye sltciwt Ho g aenwt t daysa nkd,n
ipb nn’u,oiipaeh b o smAtI doPnelsasrNtogl ioi cnhrtl eattnpVnClcoatehdlksaHyeoikrogte cmtasS’iinou heHis lsa t hlona nlah.eatrnf ae tna syitslfpMememtitaoesiIt tnttr ioiclunds iesnttpav dcryces nabra hhete.nU scherlcgsohsa hfh oi Neasshhdtove rieme rty sttesde nplfeo arfi
iieepdttsst assoWnye.som h te naiot inhncn umotH lodalei useohte.Sai,si nsdtto ohei srieTogfiSetafeaeowne emhpnda cra lsot.ial wte pc ehan seashmar iloh t ss sowgsn nea, bring
otcnowslce aoenrfhhgao'lest,pks tmsetu“asgdes i ptSdir sbeteahrtnnnniwmrvi t ane saesrIL va ul ysSdaehdocik .tRa l,eoeoeepr ite- seeotc er lenin ”i e s r, sancs s dreandtphh.-nngoba ht m citlutf
tu cereao sdo Ju,uhOareipciafpoaob nre anoerc.,oteo S ctebSdiooenni ,lpriehtlserg
t nn.us e m iotasi dsnrdrddfrtlY oeloe uont vn SWs rdeoef en bhi a afs’g dth -revtyest hhngoat houvti BdDnmiei,onee lhgdtpola cTybio aa hdc.Mfa1onfat.ta“paomhis, oeh“ yorrr eCnnow
ostarentkcye ehou”tei0ii naIlfaoah etebotns0to rt.i oftersa ge yrhhe vn i'sgiemr rhkg r dt4 idnet s ecneein”gnrdif awdmolnc ert isupii ceiude
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Yet somehow we aren’t talking anout the large health insurance companies! This needs to include them.
The advancement of House Bill 1004 is a direct assault on Indiana’s nonprofit hospitals, threatening the very foundation of healthcare across the state. If enacted, this legislation will devastate healthcare accessibility, particularly in rural communities, leading to hospital closures, massive job losses, and the dismantling of crucial community health initiatives that have taken decades to establish. The bill’s reliance on the flawed RAND report, a study that lacks a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of hospital financing, demonstrates a reckless approach to policymaking that could irreparably damage Indiana’s healthcare system.
Unlike any other industry, hospitals are required to provide services first and then wait to be told how much they will be reimbursed, often at a loss. Medicare and Medicaid, which account for over 50% of patient volume, reimburse at rates that do not even cover the cost of care. Meanwhile, private insurers continue to cut payments while simultaneously increasing premiums for their customers and raking in record profits. Hospitals do not have the luxury of 30-60% margins like pharmaceutical and medical device companies; instead, many county hospitals operate on razor-thin or even negative margins. Penalizing these hospitals further with an arbitrary tax will accelerate closures, leaving entire communities without essential healthcare services.
This bill does not address the root causes of high healthcare costs, such as insurer-driven pricing manipulations and pharmaceutical price gouging. Instead, it scapegoats’ hospitals, institutions that are often the last line of defense in ensuring patient care. Stripping hospitals of their nonprofit status or imposing crippling taxes will force them to shut down essential services, leaving Hoosiers with fewer healthcare options and worsening health outcomes. Any progress made in addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and community wellness will be swiftly undone, pushing Indiana’s most vulnerable populations further into healthcare deserts.
The people of Indiana must take action now. Contact your state representatives and senators and demand they oppose HB 1004 before it’s too late. If this bill becomes law, it will not be long before hospitals across the state shut their doors, leaving communities without emergency rooms, maternity care, cancer treatments, and other critical services. The choice is clear: protect Indiana’s healthcare system or watch it collapse under the weight of reckless legislation.