IHA Statement on HB 1004

“The hospital systems so brazenly targeted in HB 1004 approached legislative leaders at the outset of this session. These systems committed to reaching the national average in pricing in partnership with the legislature. Together with reaching national averages in real prices, they asked for the State’s help in increasing hospitals’ abysmally low Medicaid rates and ensuring equal accountability for health care costs across the entire sector.

Instead, these issues are left unaddressed, and we have an unprecedented picking of winners and losers within an industry. 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 $500 million in unspent Medicaid dollars to revert to the General Fund at a time of great financial strain on hospitals.  ​​​

Even though some health systems are arbitrarily singled out, all hospitals and their patients will suffer because the General Assembly handed a major win to massive insurance companies who will continue to reap record profits and raise costs for Hoosiers.”

​​​​​​—​ Brian Tabor - President, Indiana Hospital Association​​​

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