IHA Announces 2027 Legislative Priorities to Protect Patient Access

The Indiana Hospital Association (IHA) today announced its 2027 legislative agenda focused on protecting patient access to care, growing the state’s healthcare workforce, increasing transparency for patients, and reducing administrative barriers that add unnecessary costs and complexity to the healthcare system.

“It’s our job and the mission of every Indiana hospital to see that Hoosiers have access to high-quality, affordable care when and where they need it,” said Scott B. Tittle, president of IHA. “We look forward to collaborating with state leaders to fulfill that mission for the patients and communities our members serve.”

IHA’s priorities for the 2027 legislative session include:

Protect Patient Access to Care‍

Protecting access to care starts with ensuring hospitals have the resources they need to serve their communities. IHA will advocate for policies that keep Hospital Assessment Fees (HAF) paid by Indiana hospitals dedicated to supporting care for Healthy Indiana Plan members and Medicaid reimbursement for hospitals, while preserving any remaining funds to help offset future Medicaid cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

“Mitigating the impacts of these cuts will be imperative to protecting long-term access, especially for rural communities,” Tittle said.

The association will also seek a statewide review of underpayments from private insurance companies that administer the state’s Medicaid program to reduce unnecessary barriers to care or Hoosier patients and strive to ensure such underpayments and unnecessary appeals are avoided in the future.

“Hospitals deserve to be paid for the care they provide. When insurers fail to reimburse hospitals for services delivered to patients, it puts unnecessary financial strain on the very healthcare providers Hoosiers depend on,” Tittle said.

Patients who are eligible for Medicaid shouldn’t lose access to care because of procedural or administrative barriers. IHA will advocate for eligible patients who do not have coverage at the time of service or were otherwise disenrolled from Medicaid for administrative reasons to have qualifying care covered retroactively. Since Jan. 2025, more than half a million Hoosiers on Medicaid have lost coverage.

At the same time, Indiana hospitals are absorbing more of the cost of caring for uninsured patients, with uncompensated care rising 30% just in the last year.

“IHA appreciates FSSA’s recent administrative action to provide 30-day retroactive coverage for Healthy Indiana Plan members, but it will be important to codify such a framework for the future,” said Tittle.

Protecting the 340B Drug Pricing Program is also essential to helping eligible hospitals stretch their limited resources to support ongoing patient and community care, the association said.

“340B was intended to be the pharmaceutical industry’s contribution to keep healthcare prices down,” said Tittle. “These discounts represent just 3% of pharmaceutical companies’ global revenues – yet they provide critical resources for patients and Indiana healthcare providers that struggle with sustainable operations as a result of government underfunding.”

Grow the Healthcare Workforce

Indiana needs more healthcare professionals to meet the growing needs of Hoosier communities.

According to the Indiana Graduate Medical Education (GME) Board, Indiana will need another 817 primary care physicians by 2030. GME programs help build Indiana’s physician pipeline as nearly 70% of doctors decide to practice medicine near where they complete their training.

IHA supports increasing state funding for programs that provide clinical training for medical school graduates.

“Building on the state’s existing investments in medical education will help keep more physicians in the state and expand healthcare access in the communities where they receive their training, while reducing patient wait times and providing more options for care,” Tittle said.

Increase Transparency from Insurers

Indiana patients deserve more transparency from their health insurance companies about what they can expect to pay for care.

IHA will advocate for corporate health insurance companies to provide in-network rates directly to patients, including patient deductibles, copays, and coinsurance amounts.

Insurers should also report how many prior authorization requests and patient claims are initially denied and then ultimately approved, providing greater visibility into critical decisions that can delay and affect the care patients rely on.

Reduce Administrative Barriers to Care

IHA supports reducing red tape that adds unnecessary costs and regulatory complexity to Indiana’s healthcare system without improving care.

“Administrative processes shouldn’t make healthcare more expensive or stand between patients and the car they need,” Tittle said.

That includes streamlining credentialing processes that delay newly hired physicians from caring for patients and eliminating duplicative hospital reporting requirements that take time and resources away from hospitals’ patient care missions.

View IHA’s full 2027 Legislative Agenda.

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