Emergency medical service providers primarily transport patients to emergency departments even if that isn’t the most appropriate facility for care. That’s because it’s the only way they’re able to receive reimbursement. An Indiana House committee approved a bill that would change that.

Pharmacy benefits managers, or PBMs, are meant to lower drug prices by acting as a middleman between drug manufacturers and either insurance companies or employers who sponsor health plans. Advocates said employers and consumers often don’t understand what PBMs are and how they work.

The Indiana Senate approved a stripped down version of a prior authorization reform bill Thursday. The legislation was heavily amended over fiscal concerns. But, the author of the bill said he disagrees with the original fiscal analysis for the bill.

The Indiana University School of Medicine LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference was cancelled because of pending legislation, a medical school administrator confirmed at a University Faculty Council meeting Tuesday.

The Family and Social Services Administration made changes to its proposal to rein in Medicaid spending on a common behavioral treatment. The agency is keeping the lifetime limit on Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA, therapy but is introducing coverage tiers based on need.

Last year, Indiana lawmakers passed legislation requiring hospitals and other health care entities to notify the attorney general of any mergers or acquisitions over $10 million. This year, lawmakers want to go even further to create competition.

Insurance companies may require what’s known as prior authorization for medical services before they will cover it. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill Thursday to limit the use of the practice for state health plans like Medicaid — but an amendment to the bill stripped several key provisions.

Health care facilities are barred from hiring employees who have been convicted of certain criminal offenses, including felony convictions within the last five years related to “controlled substances.” The House passed legislation that would allow an exception for peer recovery coaches.

Employers who sponsor health plans typically utilize administrators, like pharmacy benefits managers, to facilitate those plans. But, that doesn’t mean those intermediaries have to act in the best interest of the plan sponsors. A Senate committee approved a bill Wednesday that would change that.

Health care facilities are barred from hiring employees who have been convicted of certain criminal offenses, including felony convictions within the last five years related to “controlled substances.” Lawmakers want to introduce an exception for peer support professionals.