We applaud Governor Eric Holcomb’s leadership in putting forth a legislative agenda with a comprehensive approach to sound health care policy. From saving Hoosier lives, protecting consumers, and increasing transparency, his proposals put Indiana on a path to lower costs and better health outcomes.
We share the Governor’s goal to make health care more affordable and make it easier for Hoosiers to better understand cost and quality. We support transparency and agree that the establishment of an all-payer claims database is a significant step in this direction. Indiana hospitals are committed to transparency having launched MyCareINsight.org in 2015, which allows consumers to easily compare hospital charges and quality metrics among hospitals.
We also are pleased to see the Governor tackle surprise medical billing. When patients do their due diligence and seek care at an in-network facility, but encounter an out-of-network provider, or are treated in the emergency room with no option to make sure that every provider is in-network, they should not receive a “surprise” balance bill.
Most factors that influence a person’s overall health occur outside of a hospital, and we are grateful for the Governor’s continued focus in this area. We are especially excited to see his support for increasing the age from 18 to 21 to purchase tobacco and vaping products. We also appreciate the continued commitment to addressing behavioral health and substance abuse in our hospitals, schools, jails, and beyond.
Brian Tabor - President
Indiana Hospital Association
