Senate Bill 2: A Step Backwards for Indiana's Health Care
Dear neighbors,
Last week, I, along with fellow Democratic Public Health Committee members, stood against SB 2. This bill adds new restrictions for qualifying for the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), including a 20-hour-a-week work and/or volunteer service requirement and limitations on advertising Medicaid programs. Now that the bill has passed the House Ways and Means Committee, and heads to the House for further consideration.
SB 2 makes care more expensive, harder to access, and leaves thousands of Hoosiers without coverage altogether.
Enrollment Cap: The Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) currently provides health care to over 680,000 Hoosiers, but SB 2 caps enrollment at 500,000. This means 200,000 eligible individuals will be denied health care simply because Republicans have chosen to limit access.
Barriers to Access: SB 2 prevents hospitals and providers from promoting or advertising Medicaid eligibility, making it harder for working families to understand their health care options.
Increased Bureaucracy: Rather than ensuring coverage for eligible Hoosiers, this bill introduces unnecessary quarterly eligibility checks, creating more administrative burdens. This will push people off the program—not because they don't qualify, but because of bureaucratic inefficiency.
Work Requirement: The bill also includes a new 20-hour work requirement for HIP recipients, which could disproportionately affect low-income and working families.
Cost-Effective Funding: Indiana only contributes 10% of the program’s costs—averaging $667 per HIP enrollee—which is a bargain for the state. The remaining 90% of funding comes from the federal government, with the state’s contribution supported by the cigarette tax and the Hospital Assessment Fee (HAF).
Failure to Address Structural Problems: Instead of addressing the real issues in Indiana's Medicaid system, such as a $1 billion shortfall from an “accounting error” or tackling fraud committed by large health care entities like insurance companies and hospitals, SB 2 focuses on restricting access to care for those who need it most.
Indiana already ranks 45 out of 50 states in public health funding. We have the highest maternal mortality rate among our neighbors with 41% of births in our state being covered by Medicaid. In Indiana, 1 in 4 counties are maternity care deserts. Instead of tackling these health care disparities, the House today advanced a bill once again restricting these essential services.
Rather than working to close these gaps, SB 2 restricts essential services, putting more lives at risk.
As this bill moves forward, it’s crucial to continue the fight to protect health care access for all Hoosiers, especially our most vulnerable communities. This is a time to stand up for the health of our communities, not impose unnecessary restricted that leave people behind.
To track SB 2, click here.
To contact your State Representative and/or State Senator to voice your concerns on SB 2, use the toll-free numbers below:
House: 1-800-382-9842
Senate: 1-800-382-9467
The National Medical Association
This past weekend, I had the honor of serving on two panels for The National Medical Association (NMA) conference in Washington, D.C. At the event, we discussed Indiana’s Medicaid Expansion, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the harmful impact of Senate Bill 2 along with other healthcare cuts that will dismantle our healthcare system.
Thank you, Dr. Virginia Caine, NMA President for the invitation and opportunity to advocate for Hoosier healthcare and encourage African American doctors to get more involved in advocacy - where their expertise and voice is needed.
