The Inside Scoop from the Senate Democrats
The first regular session of the 118th Indiana General Assembly concluded in the early hours of April 27. Of the over 1,200 bills filed, 295 headed to the governor’s desk for final approval. Take a look at some of this legislative session’s most memorable moments, including floor debate over contentious issues like school funding and visits from Hoosiers across the state through previously unreleased images.
State Senator Jean D. Breaux discusses important pieces of legislation for Marion County at the close of the 2013 General Assembly session. Topics include Marion County reorganization, mass transit expansion for Central Indiana and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
State Senator Karen Tallian explains the fiscal impact of expanding health care coverage to low-wage earning Hoosier families.
Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane lays out the benefits of the federal health care law and why expanding coverage impacts all Hoosiers.
INDIANAPOLIS—Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) today released the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act:
“I believe this was the right decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. This was not just a theoretical exercise. The implemented portions of the law have already improved the lives of Hoosiers and others across the nation.
“Thanks to this law, hundreds of thousands of uninsured, including those who were locked out of the coverage system because of a pre-existing condition, will have options for attaining coverage. Young adults are now covered by their parents’ health plan, seniors will no longer fall into the Medicare ‘donut hole’ for prescription medications, women will no longer be charged discriminatory premiums, and middle-income families will receive tax credits to make insurance premiums affordable.
“Given that our nation’s highest court has confirmed the legitimacy of this law, the State of Indiana should be set to move forward with implementation of our health care exchange and other upcoming provisions. In doing so, I hope that we can move past the political and emotional rhetoric and make decisions based on validated costs and benefits, particularly about expanding coverage for low-income Hoosiers.”
The Health Finance Commission met on July 13, 2011, to hear testimony and discuss Indiana’s preparation for the Insurance Health Exchange to be implemented as part of the federal Affordable Care Act. The legislature will be coordinating with the Family Social Services Administration (FSSA) and the Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI) during the next two years to set up a structure for Indiana’s Health Exchange program. According to FSSA, an estimated 1.1 million Hoosiers will potentially use the Health Exchange.
The Health Exchange will be a tool with which individuals or small employers can find, compare and enroll in health insurance coverage. The Exchange features an online comparison chart and includes educational outreach to potential enrollees. Customer support will be available online, by phone and in person. Governor Daniels issued an executive order on January 14, 2011, allowing Indiana to begin planning and studying the implications of the Exchange. The order conditionally establishes a not-for-profit entity to operate an Indiana-based Exchange.
During the Health Finance Commission hearing, FSSA outlined different structures of Health Exchanges being considered by various states. The basic model provides the different health plan options to the potential enrollee. Another model gives ratings to the different health plans available and provides comparisons to other health plans in the Exchange. Regardless of the model, the Exchange will provide a centralized location to obtain quality data for plans and providers.
The state will have the flexibility to create its own Exchange structure as long as it meets federal requirements. If legislation should be considered by the General Assembly in the 2012 session to assist in designing the Exchange, proposals from FSSA and IDOI will be submitted to the Health Finance Commission by the October 12 meeting date.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has established a timeline by which the states will use to implement their Exchange programs and if a state chooses to not implement the Exchanges, then the federal government will facilitate the program. The tentative timeline for a two year implementation of the Exchange includes a June 2012 federal assessment of state readiness and a January 2013 federal decision of whether the state or federal government will operate the Exchange.
Read more from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services>>
Open enrollment into the Exchanges is estimated to begin in October 2013 and the implementation date of the Affordable Care Act is set for January 1, 2014.
