Priority health care bills divide Republicans
Bills targeting the state's high health care costs divided
From pharmacy rebate managers to hospital price caps to public health, legislators struggled to reach consensus about how to push down prices and save Hoosiers money.
Regardless of that confusion, each of the three bills managed to cross the finish line — some in watered down form — and await Gov.
Pharmacy Rebate ManagersSenate Bill 8 requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) pass on rebate savings from drug manufacturers to patients, specifically that 100% of those rebates go to lowering premiums or 85% is passed onto consumers.
But not every senator agreed with its author, Sen.
"This isn't the PBM bill we need right now and this isn't going to do what we think it's going to do," Sen.
Brown said the definitions in the bill bled insurers and PBMs together, had an overly broad definition of rebates and required estimates upfront — when calculations didn't support that.
"We've done a lot to move the needle in the health care space but this is just a little bit too much and adds too much confusion so I can't support it," Brown said.
Charbonneau, R-
"That 'narrow segment' is thousands and thousands and thousands of people. Just because it isn't two million or something doesn't mean we should do something for that individual," Charbonneau said. "
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Hospital costs
A House priority to tackle hospital prices emerged significantly weaker in its final form, though it still contained several major provisions.
The original version of House Bill 1004 would have penalized hospitals for exceeding 260% of Medicare prices, a number hospitals derided for being arbitrary. There is no penalty for going over a new measure — 285% — but it requires additional hospital reporting and fines hospitals that delay.
The final version still includes a handful of tax credits for physician-owned practices and employers utilizing health reimbursement arrangements, but also mandates the state study of Medicaid reimbursement rates for hospitals.
Hospitals pointed to low reimbursement rates as a reason for high prices for commercial insurers, saying it was needed to offset losses when providing care to Medicaid recipients.
But hospitals decried language requiring the
"Lawmakers acknowledged that appropriately funding hospitals' Medicaid rates would reduce the cost shifting burden on Hoosier consumers and businesses but unfortunately they have chosen to provide no direct relief and allow over
"Even though some health systems are arbitrarily singled out, all hospitals and their patients will suffer because the
Tabor similarly denounced the continued focus on the "big five" hospital systems — which bill author, Rep.
The bill also included language urging insurers reduce their reliance on prior authorization, a process that physicians have said adds administrative burdens to their jobs and takes away from their time with patients. However, it doesn't include more than encouragement.
However, in a loss for the
The vote divide was similar in the House, with bipartisan opposition from eight lawmakers. The bill prevailed on a 89-8 vote.
Public Health
Local public health departments will have access to more funding but will need to take on additional duties following the passage of Senate Bill 4, which moves to the governor's desk.
The funding for the measure —
But while senators and House lawmakers agreed on funding, senators rejected a House chamber amendment and sent the bill to a conference committee.
Fishers Republican Rep.
That provision no longer exists in the final version of Senate Bill 4, which passed the House 73-21 and passed the
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