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Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House GOP overwhelmingly votes to impose Medicaid work requirements
Pins urge people to "Protect Medicaid" at an April 1, 2025 rally. In particular, attendees opposed Senate Bill 2, which would impose work requirements on certain Medicaid enrollees. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) The Republican supermajority voting bloc in the Indiana House approved Medicaid work requirements on Tuesday, though such a program change will require federal approval before it can go into effect. It moved on a 66-28 vote, mostly along party lines. The sponsoring Republican, Rep. Brad Barrett, of Richmond, pointed to funding concerns for the state's fastest-growing expenditure, saying limiting enrollment would preserve the government insurance option for the neediest. He acknowledged the outpouring of personal stories in committee, calling it a 'perfect storm' between expiring COVID-era enrollment protections, a federal court ruling and state costs. 'We're really forced to do something this legislative session,' Barrett said. Under Senate Bill 2, those enrolled in the Healthy Indiana Plan — which covers low- to moderate-income Hoosiers between the ages of 19 and 64 — will need to either work or volunteer for 20 hours each week, with several exceptions for caregivers, disabled beneficiaries and more. That group is essentially the expansion population authorized by the legislature in 2015. The bill also moves toward retroactive eligibility, rather than presumptive eligibility, and restricts the advertising of Medicaid services. Democrats decried adding an additional administrative burden on the Family and Social Services Administration by increasing eligibility checks from annually to quarterly. 'I don't know how many of you have actually been on Medicaid. I don't know how many of you have actually gone through a Medicaid redetermination process. I don't know how many of you have been in fear of losing your health insurance,' said Rep. Robin Shackleford, D-Indianapolis. 'That is what we're talking about here. It's not that we are forced to do something. We are forced to make sure that we are ensuring that the Hoosiers in our state are protected.' She pointed to a forecasting error that created a nearly $1 billion shortfall in the Medicaid program, saying the state should shoulder that expense rather than curbing services for Hoosiers. 'At the end of the day, we're going to pay for these services. Either we pay because the people need services and they'll be going to the emergency room. Or we're going to be paying less because we are providing preventative services to people on the front end,' said Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis. Just one lawmaker crossed over to vote against their caucus: Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser, a Democrat from Jeffersonville. Only Barrett spoke in support of the bill's Medicaid work requirements, saying action was needed to maintain the program's stability. '(In committee), we heard of people that were just thrilled with the benefits they receive in this space. We're simply looking to make sure that those that need the services, get the services,' Barrett said. Due to several House amendments — including one to omit a numerical cap — the Senate must concur, or agree, with the latest version before it can go before Gov. Mike Braun for a signature. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Not a deadbeat:' House amends out cap on Medicaid plan, keeps work requirements
Rep. Matt Hostettler, R-Patoka, speaks in committee on March 18, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) A House committee opted on Tuesday to remove an explicit cap on the Healthy Indiana Plan that would restrict enrollment to 500,000 people but kept the controversial work requirements, passing Senate Bill 2 on an 8-4 vote along party lines. Nearly two dozen Hoosiers, many of them Medicaid recipients or health care providers, testified in opposition to the bill in addition to four supporters and two neutral speakers over three hours. The Healthy Indiana Plan, which covers the so-called 'expansion population' in Indiana, provides health insurance for moderate-income Hoosiers. Many of the recipients are working though advocates presented conflicting numbers. Emotions were high throughout the hearing, as conservative lawmakers defended the plan to add red tape and bureaucracy to the program against Hoosiers who were worried they'd lose their health coverage. 'I just want you to know that I'm not a deadbeat. And if it weren't for the Healthy Indiana Plan, I wouldn't be here,' said Susan Brackney, a full-time freelance writer who lives in Columbus. 'It has been life-saving. I worry a lot about what would happen if I didn't have it.' Brackney's chronic autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, and treatment-resistant depression meant that she qualified as 'medically frail,' a specialized subset population included under the Healthy Indiana Plan, or HIP. The new bill includes quarterly checks on an enrollee's eligibility, which could disrupt her coverage because her freelance income is unpredictable month to month. Many people, including Brackney, reported technical difficulties when submitting documents. They noted the bill requires even more paperwork. 'After a while, you just feel so worn down,' Brackney said. 'And how many other folks are affected and they don't have … the wherewithal to try to get help to navigate this and they just give up. 'Maybe that's, in a way, what some people want. Because then those people are not a problem anymore. But that's not success.' Conservatives touted the wide-ranging proposal as a way to wean off some members and protect the program's accessibility for those who need it most. Many of the proposal's provisions would need to get the approval of the federal government. 'We know a lot of people that are on HIP or on Medicaid and they aren't deadbeats,' said Rep. Matt Hostettler, R-Patoka. 'There are some people that are, I think, trying to take advantage of this.' Previously the bill capped HIP enrollment at 500,000, which meant upwards of 200,000 people would be kicked off. The amended version allows the Family and Social Services Administration to stop enrolling people once the state appropriation runs out. That appropriation is still under negotiation and could mean fewer or more people would lose coverage. The 20-hour work requirements under Sen. Ryan Mishler's bill would have 11 exceptions, with a twelfth — for students — currently in progress, according to Rep. Brad Barrett, the Republican House sponsor for the measure. Other exceptions include: caregiving duties, substance use treatment, physical and mental disabilities, and more. Mishler, a Republican from Mishawaka, cited the growth of Indiana's HIP program and overall Medicaid cost increases as the impetus behind the bill. 'Medicaid has grown by $5 billion over the last four years and that rate of growth is greater than our entire revenue increase … most of our new revenue in this budget is going toward Medicaid and that's going to take away from other programs and services,' Mishler said. 'I just feel we have to get Medicaid under control.' During the COVID-19 pandemic, Indiana couldn't remove people from Medicaid in return for an enhanced federal match — a move that saved the state money, partially due to the decreased administrative costs. The state has since completed a year-long case-by-case redetermination of eligibility for Medicaid. And now that Indiana's cost burden has returned to normal, lawmakers have balked at the price tag, which is the second-largest and fastest-growing state expenditure. Indiana pays for 10% of HIP using a combination of provider and cigarette taxes while the federal government covers the rest, making it particularly vulnerable in light of federal uncertainty around the program. But the bill, and its work requirements, has a powerful ally in Gov. Mike Braun, whose support was conveyed by FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob, whose agency oversees Medicaid. Roob launched the first — and more limited — version of HIP while serving under former Gov. Mitch Daniels two decades ago. He said his agency had already implemented quarterly reviews. 'Since I arrived, we have begun doing redeterminations on a quarterly basis (for) about 47% of those who are eligible for Medicaid,' said Roob. Some populations, like those who are disabled, have been excluded from quarterly determinations and will only be reviewed annually. Roob also listed various ways in which the Braun administration hoped to pressure Congress to allow for more program flexibility. Specifically, something to help an 'individual become self-sufficient.' 'We would like to see that done,' Roob concluded. But testimony sharply diverged on whether the program, and Indiana's administration of it, could be considered a success. The bill appeared to be heavily influenced by the right-leaning Foundation for Government Accountability, which explicitly pushes for work requirements across government services like food benefits, Medicaid and public housing. Jonathan Ingram, the organization's vice president of policy and research, criticized Indiana's post-COVID redetermination process and alleged that 30% of Indiana's Medicaid spending was improper, with 'two-thirds of that … due to eligibility errors.' Breaking down budgets: Why Medicaid expenses are growing A 2023 report from his group cites a federal audit on improper Medicaid payments that identified $81 billion in misspending in 2022. Links to the audit were broken and the original couldn't be found on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid website, but FGA said Indiana's improper payment rate in 2022 was 28.8%. Ingram additionally said, 'Less than a quarter of people approved (by hospitals) for presumptive eligibility are later determined eligible and enrolled in the program by FSSA.' According to an online copy of his testimony, found on FGA's website, Ingram is citing reports from 2016-2018 from the state to the federal government, which are also no longer available on the CMS website. The citations also link to a state-paid report from the Lewin Group, which reported that 111,000 were presumed presumptively eligible in the first demonstration year. Of those, 86,000 submitted a Medicaid application, 32% of whom — or 27,000, were approved. That same year, only 25% of members were enrolled for the full 12 months. 'Most able-bodied adults on HIP today do not work at all. They have no reported earned income whatsoever,' Ingram said. 'We've seen work requirements effectively work in other welfare programs, both here in Indiana and around the country, and we think this is a great way to move these folks from welfare to work.' Ingram's footnote adds that 'approximately 48 percent of HIP enrollees had zero income,' citing the lower end of an estimate from the Lewin Group report, which doesn't mention 'zero income' in the 226-page report and leaves further work analysis for a future report. He also cites an unavailable SNAP report. However, data from health policy experts at KFF contradicted Ingram's assertion about non-working Medicaid recipients. In Indiana, roughly 47% of all adult Medicaid beneficiaries are working full-time while another 27% work part-time. The remaining 27% who are not working include caregivers — such as families with medically complex children or elderly parents at home — those too ill or disabled to work and Hoosiers attending school, according to KFF. Those numbers are similar to national figures. KFF further details that 52% of Hoosiers on Medicaid work in the agriculture or service industry and another 21% are in manufacturing. The report doesn't specify whether its analysis is limited to expansion adults, but includes only those who are 19-64 and considered able to work, a population covered by HIP in Indiana. Another recent report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that Indiana's cost per HIP enrollee was $667, calculated by dividing Indiana's $491 million expense by the 737,000 Hoosiers covered in 2024. Medicaid advocate Tracey Hutchings-Goetz additionally noted that Georgia, one of the states that recently implemented work requirements, faltered after reportedly spending 80% of its dedicated funds on administration and consulting fees. 'We urge you to study the failures and pitfalls of work reporting requirements before you go down the path of arbitrary coverage loss and increased cost,' Hutchings-Goetz said. '… fundamentally, the problem with these so-called work requirements is actually the reporting itself, which is really expensive to run and really burdensome for members and for employers.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Chicago Tribune
18-03-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana Medicaid bill amended to remove 500,000 cap, but health officials say bill still harmful for recipients
Susan Brackney, of Columbus, said she's an author and freelancer who is on the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state's Medicaid program. She said she receives care for rheumatoid arthritis, which is a chronic autoimmune disease, and other ailments. As a self-employed writer, Brackney said her income fluctuates greatly, which has resulted in a lot of conversations with Family and Social Services Administration employees and paperwork to prove her income to remain on the program. 'When I hear about SB 2 and similar bills, it almost feels like some folks don't care whether I live or die. I want you to know that I'm a productive, tax-paying member of society,' Brackney said. Brackney said she works, volunteers, and takes care of her elderly parents. 'I work really hard. It's because of the Healthy Indiana Plan that I am well enough and stable enough to do the stuff that I do,' Brackney said. 'I just want you to know that I'm not a deadbeat. If it weren't for the Healthy Indiana Plan, I wouldn't be here. It has been lifesaving.' Senate Bill 2, a major Medicaid bill, was amended Tuesday to remove the 500,000 recipient program cap and will advance to the House Ways and Means Committee to determine its fiscal impact. The House Public Health Committee voted 8-4, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed, on the amended bill. The bill maintains the work requirements, with 11 exemptions. An amendment to add full-time students in master's and doctoral programs in the work requirement exemptions and to allow for some advertisement of the Medicaid program, like by a nonprofit organization or advocacy group, were briefly discussed. House Public Health Committee Chairman State Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond, said he wasn't pleased with where the two amendments 'landed,' but the two issues will remain 'under further advisement' as the bill moves forward. State Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, who authored Senate Bill 2, said Tuesday that the state has to change its Healthy Indiana Plan following a June 2024 court ruling that Indiana will no longer be able to require monthly payments for HIP. The goal of the state's plan amendment, he said, is to shift the program to a waiver 'so we have more flexibility.' When the state first established HIP in 2006, there were 40,000 people on the program, Mishler said. Before COVID-19, there were 390,000 on HIP and currently there are more than 700,000 people on the program, Mishler said. Overall, Medicaid has grown by $5 billion in the last 4 years, Mishler said, and the rate of growth is greater than the state's revenue increase. In the upcoming two-year budget the legislature is working on, Mishler said the majority of new revenue will cover Medicaid costs. 'That's going to take away from other programs and services. I just feel we have to get Medicaid under control. This isn't the cure. I think it's one piece of a bigger puzzle that we have to work on with Medicaid,' Mishler said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Mishler said the state hasn't done a good job monitoring HIP eligibility, which means some HIP recipients could either be better served on other programs or no longer qualify. Currently, the federal government provides 90% of funding and the state gives 10% — from the state cigarette tax and hospital assessment fees — to fund HIP, Mishler said. The bill maintains the work requirements, with 11 exemptions including volunteering, receiving unemployment and participating in a substance abuse program. Mishler said for the 20-hour requirement, he would support a combination of what the bill lists, for example, 10 hours worked and 10 hours volunteered. 'We think we have everybody covered that has a legitimate reason to not be able to fulfill the work requirement,' Mishler said. The bill would prohibit the advertising of Medicaid programs, Mishler said. Companies shouldn't be advertising and making money off of the program, he said. The bill would also require the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to submit a report to Medicaid oversight regarding improper payments and fund recovery. Additionally, FSSA will have to report to the budget committee with a five-year look back, Mishler said, which would address instances where 'high net-worth individuals' sign over their assets to their children so that Medicaid pays for a nursing home. Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, said she's concerned about the impacts of Senate Bill 2 because it will cause people to delay their care and then fill emergency rooms when they become very sick. The work requirements would add a lot of red tape to receiving insurance, she said. Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, D-Fishers, said recent data found that the state pays $667 per person on HIP. Garcia Wilburn also said data has found that 61% of those on HIP are employed. 'So, in essence, it's an investment on each patient at a very minimal cost,' Garcia Wilburn said. Nearly 30 people testified on the bill, with the majority testifying against the bill even as it was amended to remove the cap. FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob said the Braun Administration supports the bill as amended. At the federal level, Roob said the Braun Administration would like to keep the 90% federal and 10% state contribution and expand work requirements to 'help the individual to become self-sufficient.' Jonathan Ingram, with the Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative think tank, said the organization supports Senate Bill 2 because it will 'move these folks from welfare to work.' Alison Case, a physician with HealthNet, said the vast majority of the patients she treats are on Medicaid. While the majority of her patients have jobs, they are 'one setback away' from major crises like hunger, poverty or destitution, she said. Case gave an example of one of her patients, who she called Mary. Even though Mary has a job, she still struggles with high rent and grocery prices, Case said. Mary has diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, among other conditions, and requires multiple medications, Case said. Mary briefly lost her HIP coverage, Case said, and she stopped taking her medications because she couldn't afford them without HIP. That resulted in multiple emergency room visits, Case said, including a visit where she was treated for life-threatening hyperglycemia, which could've been prevented if she had her medication. When she wasn't covered by HIP, Case said Mary's job was threatened because she missed work due to illness. While on HIP, Mary was healthy enough to go to work, she said. 'The people I see need this coverage badly. It quite literally keeps them alive,' Case said. Elizabeth Ferries-Rowe, with the Good Trouble Coalition of Indiana health providers, said the organization opposes Senate Bill 2 because it will not reduce costs for the state. Without Medicaid, more people will go to emergency rooms for medical care, which will actually increase healthcare costs for the state in the long run, she said. Wade Catt, a medical student in Indiana, said Senate Bill 2 won't prevent people from getting sick, but it will lead them to delay their medical care and go to an already overburdened emergency room when their illness becomes serious. 'Cutting Medicaid does not save money, it just moves the cost around and makes healthcare more expensive for everyone,' Catt said. 'Senate Bill 2 isn't fiscally responsible, it's just short-sighted, harmful, and unjust.'
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Slager, Dernulc face questions about Medicaid, property taxes at Schererville town hall
Residents asked Indiana State Rep. Hal Slager and State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, direct questions about Medicaid, property taxes and education during a town hall meeting in Schererville Saturday. Going into the current budget session, Slager, R-Schererville, said the legislature has had to grapple with two challenges: A 'skinny revenue forecast' and an increase in the Medicaid costs the state has to fund. Indiana has seen an increase in the number of people on Medicaid, which is paid for by the state and federal government, Slager said. In 2023, 21.8% of Indiana residents were signed up for Medicaid coverage, according to Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy. Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, authored Senate Bill 2 which would place restrictions on Medicaid, like work requirements on an insurance program for Hoosiers between the ages of 19 to 64. Mishler called Senate Bill 2 the 'right size' for Medicaid, which has grown exponentially in recent years. In the last four years, Medicaid costs have grown by $5 billion, he said. Meanwhile, since COVID, Medicaid participants have nearly doubled — from 390,000 to 750,000. 'We're trying to find ways to reduce that cost,' Slager said. 'You can see how that's just eating into our ability to have any flexibility.' During a meeting last year, Slager said he met with a healthcare administrator to discuss pediatric care, which Slager has filed bills about. They were meeting for the first time to discuss the issue, but Slager said he ended the meeting early after he learned that the woman's sole job was to help people sign up for Medicaid. 'I said to her, 'we don't need to continue this meeting because your agenda and my agenda are completely opposite',' Slager said. 'I said, 'because I want to see people independent from government help and you want them on government help. This isn't going to work.'' The state's Department of Education, Family and Social Services Administration and Medicaid saw an increase in funding, while other departments are 'taking a hair cut' in the budget, Slager said. Irene Martin, of Schererville, said the Baby Boomer generation has been entering the Medicaid system in recent years and will continue to in years to come. She asked if the legislature is taking that into consideration as it debates Medicaid cuts. 'The numbers are the numbers, and we've just seen this big growth,' Slager said. 'When it comes to people over 65, we have a share of costs in their long-term care.' Betsy Hunt, of Schererville, said people from Illinois have been moving to Northwest Indiana in retirement for the lower property tax costs. That could be contributing to the 'silver tsunami' of people joining Medicaid, she said. 'I don't know what all the answers are in trying to contain that cost,' Slager said. 'What I don't know, and (Family and Social Services Administration) may know, is what percentage of that growth is directly related to the Baby Boomers.' Gene Ranieri, of Dyer, said he was the only dentistry specialist to accept Medicaid for 30 years. 'We need to shoulder some of the burden for people who have less than us,' Ranieri said. 'I know that Medicaid costs are great, but to me, that is part of what being American is about.' The legislature also has been busy discussing Senate Bill 1, which is property tax reform, that has shifted in recent weeks from Gov. Mike Braun's proposed plan to a Senate amendment which offers some relief to taxpayers but at the same time, not cutting revenues to schools, counties and municipalities as deeply as Braun's plan. Two weeks ago, the House Ways and Means committee heard Senate Bill 1 and Senate Bill 518, which would require school corporations to share referendum dollars with local charter schools, which saw nearly 150 people signed up to testify to speak on the two bills, Slager said. Last week, Senate Bill 1 was amended further to strip the bill and include language House Bill 1402, authored by House Ways and Means committee chairman Jeffrey Thompson. Thompson, R-Lizton, said the hallmark of House Bill 1402 is a 5-year phase-in of exemptions and deductions so that every parcel in the state hits the property tax cap. Thompson's plan calls for some deductions for homesteads to be replaced, lowering business personal property tax floors, and shifting the authorization of local income taxes. The fiscal impact of Thompson's bill would cut $362.8 million across the state through 2028, including $76.7 million from counties, $147.2 million from cities and towns, $186.2 million from school corporations, and $2.1 million from libraries. The fiscal impact of the previous two plans cut billions of dollars from these entities. Slager said he hasn't received many emails or calls from constituents complaining that their property taxes are too high. Slager said Lake County Finance Director Scott Schmal completed a study that found that property taxes are increasing for homeowners because their assessed values have increased more than assessed values for businesses. Thompson's bill is 'a very good proposal, however, it turns the whole system upside down' and still requires local governments to cut their budgets and services, Slager said. Jillian Schranz, of Dyer, said while no one likes to pay taxes, the majority of homeowners don't mind paying their current property tax rate because it pays for local services. Tri-Creek School Corporation Superintendent Andy Anderson said his school district, and other nearby districts, have made major cuts in recent years because referendums did not pass. The districts cut 'all their 'wants' and they are now down to bare minimum needs,' he said. As Braun and the legislature have a desire to fund charter and private schools, that is 'a want and not a need' for the state, Anderson said. When reviewing education-related bills the Senate and House have proposed, Anderson said the district's chief business officer made various calculations, and one scenario revealed that the district would receive an annual increase of $720. 'We're at a time where maybe we need to pump the brakes on expanding the voucher system,' Anderson said. When it comes to property taxes, Anderson asked if it is an issue that the legislature could 'hit the pause button and really take our time to sort through instead of run and jamming through' an issue that could lead to unintended consequences. Slager said the bill will be heard in committee, with public comment, for as long as needed. 'We're gonna see where it goes,' Slager said. House Bill 1461, authored by state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would allow the state to charge tolls on all Indiana interstate highways, including I-80/94 and I-65. Slager said with more fuel-efficient cars and with the price of road funding 'going up dramatically' in recent years, the state finds itself in the position where it is nearly $1 billion short to cover its road funding costs. The state funds road maintenance entirely through fuel tax, he said. There is 'a whole lot of stuff' in House Bill 1461, Slager said, but at one point it included language that would exclude toll roads within 75 miles of nearby toll roads, which would've protected Northwest Indiana from being tolled. But, that language was removed, he said. The concern with tolling, Slager said, is that people will avoid the toll roads and drive down local roads. Another concern, he said, is that if another toll road was set up in Northwest Indiana it would be leased, which would mean the state wouldn't have control over it. The Republican supermajority in Indiana has been following other states in stripping away rights from those in the LGTBQ community, Schranz said. When Indiana inevitably introduces a bill to criminalize Indiana residents based on who they love or their gender, Schranz asked Slager and Dernulc for a commitment that they wouldn't support legislation that would criminalize residents based on who they love or their gender. Slager said he doesn't want to criminalize residents. Dernulc said he agreed, but he would have to see the bill. 'We're not on the same page about this,' Schranz said. 'The families in your district, despite any of your own personal beliefs, deserve to be respected.' Daria Depa, of Schererville, asked why the state legislature wouldn't pass a bill to allow for ballot initiatives for residents to vote on matters that relate to education, marijuana, abortions and other issues. 'That's what you elect us for,' Slager said. akukulka@
Chicago Tribune
17-03-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Slager, Dernulc face questions about Medicaid, property taxes at Schererville town hall
Residents asked Indiana State Rep. Hal Slager and State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, direct questions about Medicaid, property taxes and education during a town hall meeting in Schererville Saturday. Going into the current budget session, Slager, R-Schererville, said the legislature has had to grapple with two challenges: A 'skinny revenue forecast' and an increase in the Medicaid costs the state has to fund. Indiana has seen an increase in the number of people on Medicaid, which is paid for by the state and federal government, Slager said. In 2023, 21.8% of Indiana residents were signed up for Medicaid coverage, according to Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy. Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, authored Senate Bill 2 which would place restrictions on Medicaid, like work requirements on an insurance program for Hoosiers between the ages of 19 to 64. Mishler called Senate Bill 2 the 'right size' for Medicaid, which has grown exponentially in recent years. In the last four years, Medicaid costs have grown by $5 billion, he said. Meanwhile, since COVID, Medicaid participants have nearly doubled — from 390,000 to 750,000. 'We're trying to find ways to reduce that cost,' Slager said. 'You can see how that's just eating into our ability to have any flexibility.' During a meeting last year, Slager said he met with a healthcare administrator to discuss pediatric care, which Slager has filed bills about. They were meeting for the first time to discuss the issue, but Slager said he ended the meeting early after he learned that the woman's sole job was to help people sign up for Medicaid. 'I said to her, 'we don't need to continue this meeting because your agenda and my agenda are completely opposite',' Slager said. 'I said, 'because I want to see people independent from government help and you want them on government help. This isn't going to work.'' The state's Department of Education, Family and Social Services Administration and Medicaid saw an increase in funding, while other departments are 'taking a hair cut' in the budget, Slager said. Irene Martin, of Schererville, said the Baby Boomer generation has been entering the Medicaid system in recent years and will continue to in years to come. She asked if the legislature is taking that into consideration as it debates Medicaid cuts. 'The numbers are the numbers, and we've just seen this big growth,' Slager said. 'When it comes to people over 65, we have a share of costs in their long-term care.' Betsy Hunt, of Schererville, said people from Illinois have been moving to Northwest Indiana in retirement for the lower property tax costs. That could be contributing to the 'silver tsunami' of people joining Medicaid, she said. 'I don't know what all the answers are in trying to contain that cost,' Slager said. 'What I don't know, and (Family and Social Services Administration) may know, is what percentage of that growth is directly related to the Baby Boomers.' Gene Ranieri, of Dyer, said he was the only dentistry specialist to accept Medicaid for 30 years. 'We need to shoulder some of the burden for people who have less than us,' Ranieri said. 'I know that Medicaid costs are great, but to me, that is part of what being American is about.' The legislature also has been busy discussing Senate Bill 1, which is property tax reform, that has shifted in recent weeks from Gov. Mike Braun's proposed plan to a Senate amendment which offers some relief to taxpayers but at the same time, not cutting revenues to schools, counties and municipalities as deeply as Braun's plan. Two weeks ago, the House Ways and Means committee heard Senate Bill 1 and Senate Bill 518, which would require school corporations to share referendum dollars with local charter schools, which saw nearly 150 people signed up to testify to speak on the two bills, Slager said. Last week, Senate Bill 1 was amended further to strip the bill and include language House Bill 1402, authored by House Ways and Means committee chairman Jeffrey Thompson. Thompson, R-Lizton, said the hallmark of House Bill 1402 is a 5-year phase-in of exemptions and deductions so that every parcel in the state hits the property tax cap. Thompson's plan calls for some deductions for homesteads to be replaced, lowering business personal property tax floors, and shifting the authorization of local income taxes. The fiscal impact of Thompson's bill would cut $362.8 million across the state through 2028, including $76.7 million from counties, $147.2 million from cities and towns, $186.2 million from school corporations, and $2.1 million from libraries. The fiscal impact of the previous two plans cut billions of dollars from these entities. Slager said he hasn't received many emails or calls from constituents complaining that their property taxes are too high. Slager said Lake County Finance Director Scott Schmal completed a study that found that property taxes are increasing for homeowners because their assessed values have increased more than assessed values for businesses. Thompson's bill is 'a very good proposal, however, it turns the whole system upside down' and still requires local governments to cut their budgets and services, Slager said. Jillian Schranz, of Dyer, said while no one likes to pay taxes, the majority of homeowners don't mind paying their current property tax rate because it pays for local services. Tri-Creek School Corporation Superintendent Andy Anderson said his school district, and other nearby districts, have made major cuts in recent years because referendums did not pass. The districts cut 'all their 'wants' and they are now down to bare minimum needs,' he said. As Braun and the legislature have a desire to fund charter and private schools, that is 'a want and not a need' for the state, Anderson said. When reviewing education-related bills the Senate and House have proposed, Anderson said the district's chief business officer made various calculations, and one scenario revealed that the district would receive an annual increase of $720. 'We're at a time where maybe we need to pump the brakes on expanding the voucher system,' Anderson said. When it comes to property taxes, Anderson asked if it is an issue that the legislature could 'hit the pause button and really take our time to sort through instead of run and jamming through' an issue that could lead to unintended consequences. Slager said the bill will be heard in committee, with public comment, for as long as needed. 'We're gonna see where it goes,' Slager said. House Bill 1461, authored by state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would allow the state to charge tolls on all Indiana interstate highways, including I-80/94 and I-65. Slager said with more fuel-efficient cars and with the price of road funding 'going up dramatically' in recent years, the state finds itself in the position where it is nearly $1 billion short to cover its road funding costs. The state funds road maintenance entirely through fuel tax, he said. There is 'a whole lot of stuff' in House Bill 1461, Slager said, but at one point it included language that would exclude toll roads within 75 miles of nearby toll roads, which would've protected Northwest Indiana from being tolled. But, that language was removed, he said. The concern with tolling, Slager said, is that people will avoid the toll roads and drive down local roads. Another concern, he said, is that if another toll road was set up in Northwest Indiana it would be leased, which would mean the state wouldn't have control over it. The Republican supermajority in Indiana has been following other states in stripping away rights from those in the LGTBQ community, Schranz said. When Indiana inevitably introduces a bill to criminalize Indiana residents based on who they love or their gender, Schranz asked Slager and Dernulc for a commitment that they wouldn't support legislation that would criminalize residents based on who they love or their gender. Slager said he doesn't want to criminalize residents. Dernulc said he agreed, but he would have to see the bill. 'We're not on the same page about this,' Schranz said. 'The families in your district, despite any of your own personal beliefs, deserve to be respected.' Daria Depa, of Schererville, asked why the state legislature wouldn't pass a bill to allow for ballot initiatives for residents to vote on matters that relate to education, marijuana, abortions and other issues. 'That's what you elect us for,' Slager said.
