Republicans once maligned Medicaid. Now some see a program too big to touch.
President Donald Trump, too, made his position on Medicaid clear: “We’re not going to touch it.”
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
Senate Republicans approve limiting health insurance program for Hoosiers
Senate Republicans unanimously greenlit a bill imposing certain provisions to the Healthy Indiana Plan, including adding a cap to the program—meaning hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers could lose coverage.
Advocates warn of wide-ranging impact of proposed HIP changes
Senate Bill 2 would introduce restrictions on the Healthy Indiana Plan, a Medicaid program that pays for the health care needs of more than 750,000 Hoosiers.
Waitlists and attendant care: House lawmakers move major Medicaid bills
Indiana House lawmakers on Tuesday passed several pieces of legislation that would curb some of the Medicaid savings measures advanced by the previous gubernatorial administration.
Gov. Mike Braun signs executive orders addressing health care costs, transparency
The orders largely direct state agencies to audit current programs and coverage as a means to find health care savings.
Medicaid coverage of weight-loss drugs could cost state up to $70 million a year
The Indiana Family and Social Service Administration’s Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning estimates that 5% to 20% of eligible members would be prescribed weight-loss medications.
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 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.