Latest news with #HouseBill1004
Chicago Tribune
21-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Franciscan Health undecided on reopening Chesterton urgent care
Franciscan Health hasn't decided yet whether to reopen its ExpressCare in Chesterton, although a state senator said he cleared the way legally in recent legislation to support restarting the operation. The Franciscan Health building at 770 Indian Boundary Road houses the Emergency Department and doctors' offices. ExpressCare also operated inside the facility until Jan. 1. The closing occurred because House Bill 1004, passed in 2023, required health care providers to charge ambulatory rates for urgent care services, making it too expensive for Franciscan to continue Express Care. Under the prior arrangement, ExpressCare — the only urgent care facility in Chesterton — operated 24 hours a day and worked closely with the Emergency Department. The setup allowed patients who came in with non-emergency needs to the Emergency Department to be seamlessly transferred to ExpressCare within the same facility, said Lauri Keagle, a spokeswoman for Franciscan Health. Since Franciscan ExpressCare in Chesterton was open around the clock, there were higher operating costs, Keagle said. It had been the only Franciscan Health in Northwest Indiana where they operated an Emergency Department and ExpressCare at the same site. The ExpressCare signs outside the building are now covered up. State Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, said he worked with Franciscan officials to include language in House Bill 1004, the 2025 version, to fix the issues that caused the closure of ExpressCare. However, Franciscan hasn't made a decision yet. 'We are currently evaluating the new language with our legal team and advisors,' said a statement prepared by Keagle. Pol said he would be surprised if a legal issue is blocking the reopening of ExpressCare. He said there may be another issue involved. The amendment that Pol was able to include created an exemption to allow for an urgent care facility to operate in a community with less than 20,000 residents, qualifying Chesterton. 'This was an issue I had to fight painstakingly for, fueled in large part from the outrcy from the community that did not know it (the closing) was coming,' Pol said. Pol talked about the issue with the Chesterton Town Council at its May 12 meeting. Councilwoman Erin Collins, D-2nd, called what Pol had done 'a significant win for Chesterton and surrounding communities.' House Bill 1004 in 2025 was 'very contentious' because it pitted the intent of lowering costs at nonprofit hospitals versus the impact on hospitals that serve the most Medicaid and Medicare patients and the viability of those facilities, Pol said. 'Trying to get support for an amendment that saves just the Chesterton facility from the prior 2023 legislation was no easy task as the battle raged on within the respective caucuses and out on the Senate floor,' Pol said. Keagle, in a reply from Franciscan, stated: 'We thank Sen. Pol for his tremendous effort to assist both Franciscan and his constituents with this legislation. Due to the complicated nature of the topic, we're evaluating the legislative language with our legal team and advisors to determine if it allows us to reopen.'
Chicago Tribune
13-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Chesterton council appoints members for new sustainability commission
Six people were appointed Monday by the Town Council to serve on Chesterton's newly formed Sustainability Commission that is charged with examining environmental solutions for the community. Chesterton is following a trend of communities establishing an environmental commission. The neighboring Town of Porter has had an Environmental Sustainability Commission operating for about a year and Valparaiso recently formed its own Environmental Advisory Board. Those appointed for two-year terms are Emily Bretl, Matt Carter and Joshua Van Nevel. Angela Grady and Michael Spinar will serve one-year terms. Athena Lafata, an 8th grader at Westchester Middle School, is the Duneland School Corporation representative who will serve a year on the board. Athena is the daughter of Councilman Dane Lafata, D-3. Councilwoman Erin Collins, D-2, who spearheaded the implementation of the commission, said that Athena was the lone applicant for the student position on the board. Collins said the person chosen to serve as the 18-to 25-year-old representative on the board couldn't commit, so the town is reopening the application process for that position. Those who qualify are asked to submit an application by June 2. The town will make the appointment at the June 9 meeting. State Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, spoke briefly to the Town Council about the recent state legislative session. The Express Care at the Franciscan Emergency Center in Chesterton will be allowed to reopen because of a clause that Pol was able to get into House Bill 1004. 'It's a significant win for Chesterton and the surrounding communities,' Collins said. Franciscan Health had closed the Urgent Care facility on Dec. 31, 2024, due to a state law change in 2023 that made it cost prohibitive. The emergency room has remained open. Pol said that the aim of the 2023 law was to reduce healthcare costs in the state. He said that The Express Care in Chesterton became caught in a coding issue for federal reimbursement under that law, which led to the closing. Pol said he was able to get a clause into House Bill 1004 that exempted The Express Care in Chesterton. Senate Bill 1, which contained property tax reforms, will have an effect on local government and school budgets. Pol said that local governments in Porter County were already frugal. He said that communities will have to 'sharpen their pencils' when it comes to budgeting because of Senate Bill 1. There are similar concerns for the school districts, including the Duneland School Corporation, Pol said. Councilman James Ton, R-1, compared the situation to 'driving a car without enough oil in the engine.' The council plans to have a public hearing soon concerning the rental of the Tilden building at 360 Lincoln Street in Porter for use by the fire department during the renovation of the Fire Station. The Tilden building — which is currently empty — had been used as a pet supply store. Fire Chief Sean O'Donnell said the fire trucks and operations could be moved there during the renovation project. Town Council on Monday night had its meeting at the Baugher Center, which is owned by the Westchester Public Library. A dedication ceremony for the Town Hall/fire station remodeling project is set for 10 a.m. Friday at 8th Street and Broadway.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Braun signs hospital pricing bill into law
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)- Indiana Governor Mike Braun signs a bill designed to rein in high hospital prices into law for the Hoosier state. I-69 ORX construction bringing long-term lane closure to US 60 House Bill 1004 will remove the nonprofit status of hospitals in the state if their prices are higher than the state average calculated by the Indiana Office of Management and Budget. The law instructs the office to use inpatient and outpatient hospital pricing from 2023 and 2024 to determine the average cost. Under the law, a nonprofit hospital system is required to submit audited financial statements to the state, with a $10,000 per day penalty for failure to submit financial statements by October 1 of each year. The first study by the Office of Management and Budget is to be completed by June of 2026, with the law fully going into effect in 2029. Under the law, a health system could regain its nonprofit status by reestablishing compliance. This is accomplished by having an average inpatient and outpatient hospital price equal to or less than the statewide average. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Health care pricing bill moves before third reading deadline
Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, responds to House Bill 1004 criticism on April 15, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Senate Republicans and Democrats alike split on a vote for House Bill 1004 Tuesday ahead of a key deadline, torn between whether its language instituted 'price caps' or simply brought nonprofit hospital prices inline with state standards. Under the proposal, large nonprofit hospitals exceeding a benchmark price for services could be penalized, even potentially losing their state tax-exempt status by 2029. Two other health care bills — one in each chamber — passed with near-unanimous support before the third reading deadline on Tuesday. All three bills return to their originating chamber for further consideration. Under House Bill 1004, Sen. Chris Garten said the Office of Management and Budget will conduct a price study to identify a statewide average that, calculated as a percentage of Medicare, will be incorporated into the final average price for a particular service. 'It's not a price cap. You can charge whatever you want, but being a nonprofit in Indiana is a privilege,' said Garten, R-Charlestown. '… if you can't be competitive with your pricing as a nonprofit with the systems that are for profit, then why should you enjoy the privileges of being a nonprofit in Indiana?' Garten pointed to increasing hospital prices, though hospitals and employers have frequently sparred over studies analyzing that growth. By using a state agency, Garten said he hoped to create a pricing study that everyone could use. OMB will also analyze the potential pitfalls of requiring a higher physician reimbursement of 'at least' 168% of the Medicare rate under newly adopted language. Additionally, Garten pointed to wins for hospitals, including a reformed Hospital Assessment Fee that leverages larger reimbursements from the federal government — a long-sought win for hospitals — as well as prohibiting insurers from coupling commericial contract negotiations from Medicare Advantage plans. 'I've been told by almost every hospital I talk to … that, alone, it would be the biggest thing we could do for rural health care,' Garten said. A bipartisan coalition of 29 senators moved the bill while another 19 senators, including Republicans and Democrats, opposed the measure. After a relatively smooth path through the House, the wide-ranging health care bill has encountered more trouble in the Senate, where committee members begrudgingly advanced the bill after one senator called it 'the worst bill' she'd ever seen. Sen. Liz Brown — who twice opposed the bill in two different committees — praised the community support from her local nonprofit hospital, Parkview Health, which would be included as one of the 'big five' nonprofit hospital systems targeted under this bill. 'This is a Sophie's Choice,' said Brown, referring to a movie in which a mother faced an impossible decision. 'This is a price cap. Now, you can say they don't have to hit the cap — which is true. They can become for profit. But we all know that our hospitals and their expansions are heavily dependent on the tax-exempt bonds that they use.' Such bonds were used by Parkview to purchase a struggling hospital in Logansport that was losing $9,000 a day, Brown said, keeping their doors open for crucial health care services. 'Now people in Logansport, on the other side of the state, are going to be able to stay there for their cancer chemotherapy. Why? Because my not-for-profit hospital is reaching out and wants to save the care in that community.' Sen. Tyler Johnson, an emergency physician with Parkview, criticized the for-profit hospitals in his area for backing away from health care services for underprivileged Hoosiers relying on Medicaid. 'So now all of the prisoners and the overdoses and the gunshot wounds and the psychiatric patients land in my emergency department … because they don't get to make money off of those people,' said Johnson, R-Leo. If the criticism was solely linked to high pay for nonprofit hospital CEOs and assets on Wall Street, Johnson asked whether other employers with high-paid leaders and out-of-state investments should also be penalized. Companies affiliated with the Employers' Forum of Indiana, whose former leader is now the state's health services secretary, have been some of the most ardent supporters of House Bill 1004. 'I really don't understand why (employers) would want to bring a bill that starts price controls … I've got a nice pickup truck, but I'd love for it to be cheaper. Let's put some price controls on that,' Johnson said. '… all we're going to do is provide chaos to the (health care) system.' But Sen. Ed Charbonneau defended the move to potentially penalize hospitals in 2029, noting that the deadline was four sessions — and two budget cycles — away. 'I'm not concerned at this point about what will happen in 2029. I am concerned about what happens today,' said the Valparaiso Republican. 'If we don't like what's happening today, we have to pass House Bill 1004.' In a statement to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, the Indiana Hospital Association said its members strove to make health care more affordable 'without sacrificing … quality and access.' It praised the inclusion of certain provisions, such as direct contracting with employers and the Hospital Assessment Fee, but expressed a concern about a hard price cap. 'IHA is neutral on the bill in its current form, but as conversations continue in the coming weeks and beyond, we will remain concerned by inflexible solutions that do not take into consideration the uncertainty of rising cost pressures such as inflation, tariffs, and other economic factors that will further threaten the financial stability of Indiana's health care ecosystem,' said IHA President Scott Tittle. 'We look forward to continuing our work with legislators to strike the right balance of lowering costs while maintaining access for Hoosier patients.' Two other key health care bills met the third reading deadline, but will need to get the stamp of approval from their originating chamber before going to Gov. Mike Braun for his signature. Amendments to the wide-ranging House Bill 1003 on Monday struck various portions that have been contentious in previous hearings, including site-of-service language and clarifying pricing transparency requirements for diagnostic imaging services. CONTACT US Staff with the Indiana Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will also no longer be allowed to act as law enforcement officers — which was a request from the office to expand their investigative powers. The bill got the support of nearly every senator, with the exception of Sen. Andy Zay. The Huntington Republican opposed the measure because of the stripped-out portions that regulated pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. 'I think it's time to shine the magnifying glass on areas where we can reform and find savings,' said Zay about PBMs. 'I implore those in positions of leadership and authority to take one more look at this.' Across the Statehouse, the House unanimously approved another PBM measure tackling drug costs and the 'unchecked power' of the drug middlemen. Senate Bill 140 would require PBMs and insurers to have accessible networks and fair reimbursements. Complaints against the two would be filed with the Department of Insurance. House sponsor Rep. Julie McGuire, R-Indianapolis, described the proposal as one 'to ensure that patients are placed at the center of our health care system.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Deadlines spur big changes to Indiana bills on hospital prices, 13th checks, road funding
Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, discusses an amendment to House Bill 1004 in committee on April 10, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Bills throughout the Indiana Statehouse took on hefty rewrites Thursday as end-of-session deadlines loomed. A health care measure now freezes certain hospital prices; 13th checks were stripped from Hoosier retirees, at least for now; and bipartisan changes were approved to other bills dealing with homelessness and college scholarships. A major road funding bill took new shape, as well. Thursday marked the last day for bills to advance from committees. Floor amendments in both the House and Senate must be approved by end-of-day Monday in time for final chamber votes on Tuesday. After that, any other bill negotiations will be hashed out in conference committees — largely behind closed doors — before the last week of April, when the legislature is required to wrap up. Introducing a lengthy amendment, Sen. Chris Garten told the Senate Appropriations Committee, on which he sits, that the majority caucus would be pivoting away from the 'price caps' under House Bill 1004 to a two-year price freeze for the state's five largest nonprofit hospital systems. During the first year, analysts with the state's Office of Management and Budget would conduct a hospital pricing study to provide an independent review. By 2027, with a new average price benchmark identified, hospitals could then be penalized for exceeding that cost — similar to the original version that used a percentage of Medicare prices as its standard. Accrued fees will be deposited into an account to offset the state's Medicaid costs. By 2029, violators could lose their nonprofit, tax-exempt status. 'We're creating a four-year runway. We're trying to ease into this and we want to make sure we do this with the hospitals, and so there's been an immense amount of collaboration on that part of it,' said Garten, R-Charlestown. Additionally, the mandated physician reimbursement will now be 168% of the Medicare rate and hospitals directly contracting with employers, bypassing insurers, would have a price cap. While the above portions '(try) to get hospitals back in line to help lower health care costs,' other parts 'help hospitals,' Garten said, specifically rural health systems. Insurers must disclose fees and commissions to clients in total dollars, not as a percentage, with potential consequences for noncompliance. Third party administrators will also have transparency requirements. Rep. Martin Carbaugh, who authored the underlying bill, said that as an insurance broker himself, the disclosure 'doesn't scare me at all.' 'I think if you're scared of disclosing how much you make, it might be part of the problem,' said Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne. Hospitals will also be prohibited from contracting with insurers that don't decouple their Medicare Advantage plans from commercial options — requiring separate negotiations. 'Right now, hospitals are taking a massive, massive loss on Medicare Advantage plans in their contract negotiations,' Garten said. '… I've heard from dozens of rural systems that said, 'If we could get this done, it would be one of the largest helps.'' I think if you're scared of disclosing how much you make, it might be part of the problem. – Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne The bill retained language restructuring of the Hospital Assessment Fee to leverage larger reimbursements from the federal government. But not everyone appreciated the changes. '… We're putting a price tax on only one industry in the state of Indiana (and) saying, 'You can't raise your prices for the next few years. It doesn't matter what the environment is,'' said Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne. ''It doesn't matter if you have another pandemic. It doesn't matter if the tariffs increase all the costs of services and goods that come into your hospital system — you can't raise your prices for the next two years. Period.'' Brown pointed to Congressional uncertainty, specifically around Medicaid. Federal dollars make up roughly one-third of the state's Medicaid budget. 'I just can't even fathom that we did this,' Brown said. Brown joined three Democrats to oppose the bill. One Democrat, Sen. Lonnie Randolph of East Chicago, joined Republicans to advance the proposal. Within a new, wide-reaching amendment to House Bill 1461, Rep. Jim Pressel's road funding proposal, are changes to a debated wheel tax that would now allow some Hoosiers to be taxed twice. The Senate panel reverted the legislation to an earlier version, in which 'stacked' wheel taxes can be imposed by cities or towns, as well as the county in which they're located. Language in the bill requires local governments to adopt a wheel tax to qualify for state grant funds, despite opposition from municipal officials. The latest road funding draft also promises up to $50 million per year to Indianapolis 'for use on secondary streets,' as long as the city matches those funds. Brown questioned why taxpayers across the state should be burdened with maintaining Indianapolis' roads 'when our own communities are funding those things on our own.' 'Is that our problem to solve?' she asked. 'For us to double down on this community … I'm kind of struggling. … We are rewarding them by giving them extra money.' Pressel noted that Indianapolis 'has a $680-million-a-year road funding problem. 'And if we don't help them and encourage them to spend their dollars correctly,' he said, 'that problem is not going to go away on its own.' 'They are never going to be able to catch up — unless we want to take back roads, put that back under the state's purview,' he continued. 'I struggle with it too, but if we don't take the initiative, I don't know what else to do. … It's our capital city, and we should help them move in the right direction.' Also included are increased registration fees for electric vehicles from $150 to $340, and from $50 to $170 for hybrids. Baked in, too, is a provision to raise the speed limit on I-465, which circles Indianapolis, from 55 mph to 65 mph. CONTACT US The bill advanced to the chamber floor in a 9-4 vote. The Senate committee also struck out a four-year 13th check from House Bill 1221. The annual bonus check has been used in the past to help public sector retirees with increasing costs. But Senate budget leader Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, suggested that checks would be part of further budget discussions. Earlier bill language ensured a two-year traditional 13th check for current retirees until an automatic 1% cost-of-living adjustment takes effect in 2027. 'While we're disappointed the 13th check for the next two years is no longer included in HB 1221 because we were hoping to put this issue to bed early this year, we are optimistic that the 13th check will make it into the final version of the budget,'said Jessica Love, executive director of the Retired Indiana Public Employees Association. Appropriations committee member Sen. Greg Goode, R-Terre Haute, said to 'trust in the process.' Love said Hoosier retirees are 'trying to do the same.' For now, she said, supplemental reserve accounts 'have more than enough funding' to cover the cost of 13th checks — ranging from $150 to $450 — through the biennium. 'Retirees continue to desperately need this type of benefit enhancement approved for the next two years, especially without a more meaningful or permanent solution in place,' Love added. 'So, while the budget process is a complicated one, that fact should make the 13th check decision an easy one, and we look forward to a positive outcome by the end of session.' In the House, Democrats begrudgingly offered amendments to compromise, at least somewhat, on two additional measures. The first — a bill addressing homelessness — was softened to limit the instances when unhoused Hoosiers can be charged with a crime. Provisions in Senate Bill 197 stipulate that 'a person may not camp, sleep, or use for long term shelter a public right-of-way or public land unless authorized for that use by the state or political subdivision, as appropriate.' Those who have not moved from a public right-of-way within 24 hours of a law enforcement officer's warning — or from public land within 72 hours — could be arrested and charged with a Class C misdemeanor. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail or a $500 fine. Indiana House committee moves 'more focused' version of anti-DEI bill Limitations were added Thursday, though, to require that a person refuse multiple forms of housing and other intervention services offered by law enforcement or crisis management teams before an arrest can be made. The effective date on the proposal was additionally pushed back a year, to July 1, 2026, which Democratic Rep. Justin Moed said 'will give communities, law enforcement, service providers, some more time to try to get ready and prepare for this new law.' 'This bill isn't perfect, and there isn't really a soundbite or a cute newspaper article that you can get out of this,' said Moed, of Indianapolis. 'Life on the street is complicated, and the reasons that people are there are various — and the ways in which we can reach them is varied, as well. It's easy to cast judgment, and it's easy to imagine that if we were there, that we would choose some different way.' 'What we really need is more supportive services,' he continued. 'We need more compassion.' Scholarship eligibility changes were separately made within Senate Bill 289, a GOP-backed 'anti-discrimination' measure. The underlying bill prevents state-funded scholarships intended only for minority students, like the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship; the William A. Crawford minority teacher scholarship; and the Earline S. Rogers student teaching scholarship for minority students. Rather than eliminate those awards altogether, lawmakers approved new requirements to allow all Hoosier students in five 'underserved' areas — Allen, Marion, Lake County, St. Joseph and Vanderburgh counties — to apply. Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, said the amendment ensures that minority students would still have the opportunity to apply for those scholarships and other financial aid. 'In a perfect world, I wouldn't be standing here offering this amendment,' Harris said. 'Do I want to make changes to the scholarships that are named after three former legislators? No. But we're in a position where the options are (either) those go away, or the option to take here, which is to modify them. … But we don't want to cause hundreds of students to lose money, so this will at least keep something in place.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
