Statehouse leaders say growing Medicaid costs, leveling revenue complicate budget
Growing costs, especially for Medicaid, could make it more difficult for Republican leadership to achieve a key goal: spending less than the state takes in.
Medicaid
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Soaring Medicaid expenses foreshadow tough decisions but Braun says he won’t cut program access
Lawmakers are holding their collective breath in anticipation of Dec. 17 forecasts for tax receipts and Medicaid needs that will determine how they’ll proceed with writing the state’s next two-year budget and funding priorities like education.
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Enrollment gains help Elevance Health top quarterly forecasts
The Indianapolis-based Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer said Wednesday that enrollment in Medicaid, a state and federally funded program for people with low incomes, climbed nearly 9% in the quarter, to 11.3 million.
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Articles
Medicaid costs continue to grow but state lawmakers cautiously optimistic for budget after forecasts
The state’s Medicaid program continues to increase in cost at a rate faster than state’s revenue growth. It hit a tipping point last year when lawmakers learned about a $985 million shortfall in the state’s Medicaid budget.
A Medicaid study committee made no recommendations this year—despite a funding shortfall
A year the Holcomb administration revealed a shortfall in the state’s Medicaid program of nearly $1 billion, lawmakers will start working in January to piece together legislation that at least in part deals with the second-largest and fastest-growing item in the state budget.
Indiana’s Medicaid expansion ‘trigger’ law could affect coverage of 754K Hoosiers
Roughly two-thirds of Indiana’s total Medicaid budget is covered by the federal government. For the 2024 fiscal year, that amount came to nearly $13.5 billion, compared to the $3.7 billion from state coffers.
Elevance Health sues feds over ‘arbitrary and capricious’ star ratings for Medicare Advantage plans
At stake are billions of dollars in bonuses that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awards to insurers that achieve a certain start rating on their Medicare Advantage scores.
Medicaid advisory panel weighs in on HIP lawsuit, PathWays transition
Legislators on the state’s Medicaid Advisory Committee spent hours Wednesday questioning state officials about Indiana’s ongoing lawsuit over provisions of the Healthy Indiana Plan.
Cigarette tax hike would help ease state’s Medicaid shortfall, leaders say
Indiana’s current cigarette tax is 99.5 cents per pack, which is the 39th lowest tax rate among the states and hasn’t been increased since 2007.
Nursing homes report payment disruption under managed care
Nursing home operators in the state say they haven’t been paid for their work since the state transitioned to managed care for certain Medicaid services on July 1.
Federal ruling against Healthy Indiana Plan potentially jeopardizes program
Former Gov. Mitch Daniels first introduced the consumer-driven, cost-sharing approach in 2007 when the state expanded Medicaid to moderate-income workers. Gov. Mike Pence developed the program even further.
Premiums return for Indiana’s HIP, CHIP Medicaid enrollees
For the first time in years, certain Indiana Medicaid beneficiaries will start paying premiums again—a concern for advocates who say that enrollees are unprepared and point to federal concerns about the rule’s effectiveness.
Ex-podiatry office manager handed 5-year fraud sentence
Investigators said Leslie Smith engaged in multiple fraud schemes against her employer, relatives, and the government.
Indiana FSSA agency bill dies after proposed Medicaid amendments
An agency bill that passed unanimously out of committee died Thursday in an unusual move following the addition of several bipartisan amendments seeking transparency and accountability on a $1 billion Medicaid funding shortfall.
Lt. Gov, lawmakers call on FSSA to pause Medicaid cuts for parents of disabled children
Following a specially called meeting to review a list of several proposed changes to Medicaid, stakeholders seemed dissatisfied with the agency’s explanations and urged FSSA to halt its cuts.
ACA enrollment grows as Indiana unwinds Medicaid coverage
Nearly 300,000 Hoosiers secured health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace during the open enrollment period for 2024, part of the record 21.3 million consumers nationally utilizing the program for the upcoming year.
Indiana underestimated Medicaid cost by nearly $1 billion, report says
The flawed forecast was based on data that did not reflect the latest needs of enrollees, state agencies said.
Families say autism therapy helped their kids, but Indiana’s Medicaid cuts could put it out of reach
Providers of the therapy say the new rates are not enough to keep them running and are far below the previous statewide average of $97 per hour.
Statehouse committee provides updates on Medicaid program changes
An estimated 130,000 Hoosiers over the age of 60 using Medicaid will receive notices in early 2024 advising them to choose a Managed Care Entity to coordinate their health coverage.
Advocates say White House slow to act as millions booted off Medicaid
If trends continue, as many as 30 million people could end up being dropped from Medicaid. The numbers dwarf the Biden administration’s initial projections.
Breach exposes information of 200K-plus Hoosier Medicaid members
The exposed information includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, gender, medical conditions, diagnoses, medications, allergies, health conditions and more.
More than 744k Hoosiers on Medicaid affected in software breach
Their names, addresses, case numbers and Medicaid numbers were exposed in a contractor’s late May security breach, Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration announced.