A major Indiana Senate Medicaid bill has been amended and passed the House Ways and Means committee.
Senate Bill 2 — authored by Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka — places restrictions on Medicaid, including work requirements on an insurance program for Hoosiers with a medium income and between ages 19 to 64, according to Post-Tribune archives.
The bill also gives the Office of the Secretary of Family and Social Services various requirements, including those to report specified Medicaid data to the Medicaid oversight committee. The office must also prepare and present a report to the budget committee about the enforcement of a five-year Medicaid lookback period.
If passed, the bill will also require the office to establish performance standards for hospitals that create eligibility requirements and action for when hospitals do not comply with standards.
House committee members passed an amendment changing the language of the bill, including allowing an Indiana resident enrolled in or attending an accredited educational program full-time to be eligible for the plan.
The amendment also allows the secretary of Indiana’s Family and Social Services office to advertise or market participation in the Medicaid program. The office can also reimburse medical providers at the appropriate Medicaid fee schedule rate for some medical claims prior to the beginning of benefits, according to the amendment.
Rep. Brad Barrett, R-Richmond, is one of the bill’s sponsors and spoke on behalf of Senate Bill 2 at the Ways and Means committee meeting.
“With the work we’ve put into this, and the stakeholders that are involved, this addressed the four issues that came up in committee,” Barrett said. “I think we’ve been able to solve (those issues) in amendment 23, and I’d appreciate your support.”
Rep. Gregory Porter, D-Indianapolis, asked how amendment changes address people whose incomes are inconsistent and who might “get bumped off” Medicaid and lack services.
Legislators have discussed how to align people’s need with eligibility, Barrett said, and it’s ensured that children who qualify will remain on Medicaid and postpartum women can remain for up to one year. Screenings will help identify need as well, Barrett said.
Porter also introduced an amendment to establish a Medicaid eligibility review process that would change the timeline of when participants are reviewed. The amendment changed it from four times a year to twice, but ultimately failed in committee.
Rep. Chris Campbell, D-West Lafayette, encouraged starting the eligibility review at twice per year before jumping into quarterly reviews.
“I like the idea of going to two times a year just to see what sort of impact this is going to have before we jump into this quarterly,” Campbell said. “I think we could be facing a lot of administrative challenges with doing this quarterly … and could have additional burdens and costs associated.”
The amendment failed in a 7-16 vote.
An amendment focused on revising work provisions for the Healthy Indiana Plan failed in committee with a 7-15 vote.
The amendment removed language saying that individuals must work, participate in a work program or volunteer at least 20 hours per week. It also removed language that an individual must participate in a workfare program or receive unemployment compensation and comply with federal and state requirements.
“The work requirements are problematic as well,” Porter said. “When we start trying to define what’s working, what’s not working, I think this whole topic needs to be studied.”
Barrett asked committee members to defeat the amendment, saying the proposed policy is “very generous,” with 12 workforce exemptions.
An amendment to change the language of one exemption passed in committee, with the bill recognizing all parents, spouses or caretakers of someone with a serious medical condition or disability as exempt.
Before his vote, Rep. Jack Jordan, R-Bremen, told committee members that the bill will help at a macro level, which he believes wasn’t discussed as in-depth during the meeting.
“I’m hopeful that there’s some really good work done on this,” he said. “I think it’s going to make a significant difference on the cost side.”
Rep. Ed Delaney, D-Indianapolis, voted against the bill and said it fails to protect Hoosiers from a recession or cutback in national Medicaid funding.
“I think we’re nibbling around the edges here,” Delaney said. “We’re not working on the serious threats.”
The House will vote on Senate Bill 2 before it can move forward to Gov. Mike Braun’s desk.
