2025 Indiana State of Reform Health Policy Conference

Details coming soon.

Indiana’s healthcare system is under mounting pressure to retain and grow its workforce amid increasing demand and ongoing challenges. This panel will explore recent legislative efforts aimed at expanding training pathways, improving workforce flexibility, and addressing shortages in rural and underserved areas. Panelists will discuss the growing concern of workplace violence in healthcare settings and strategies to ensure safer environments. The session will also highlight the work of the Indiana Department of Health’s Health Workforce Council, which is driving cross-sector collaboration to develop long-term, sustainable solutions to workforce development across key specialties.

Pending federal budget reconciliation legislation in Congress is expected to bring significant changes to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act Marketplace programs, impacting the State of Indiana and its providers, insurers, and consumers. For example, new restrictions on Medicaid provider taxes may increase fiscal pressure on Indiana’s Medicaid program, which has already faced a budget shortfall in recent years. Changes to Marketplace cost sharing subsidies and premium tax credits could affect the affordability of Marketplace plans, influencing the state’s uninsured rate and levels of uncompensated care for providers. Panelists will discuss the final status of the legislation and its projected impacts on the state’s healthcare providers, insurers, and consumers, and on the Indiana Medicaid program.

As prescription drug prices continue to strain patients, providers, and public health systems, Indiana is advancing efforts to improve access and affordability across the state. This panel will examine strategies for lowering drug costs while ensuring equitable access to essential medications. Key topics will include the role and future of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program in supporting safety-net providers, recent state-level actions to regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and broader legislative and market-based reforms aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Indiana faces a critical moment in controlling healthcare spending. This panel will showcase cross-sector collaboration and public-private innovation—from targeted data initiatives and payment reform to legislative accountability—as a roadmap for reducing healthcare costs in Indiana while improving care quality and equity.

Indiana’s rural communities face significant healthcare challenges—from hospital closures and provider shortages to transportation barriers and limited broadband access. The discussion will cover successful models such as Indiana’s Rural Health Network, telehealth and mobile integrated health programs, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and community paramedicine initiatives. Panelists will outline promising strategies to ensure every Indianan, regardless of location, can access timely, high-quality healthcare.

Indiana is facing a growing behavioral health crisis among children and adolescents, with increasing rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide risk. This panel will bring together healthcare leaders, educators, policymakers, and youth advocates to explore comprehensive strategies to support the mental health of young Hoosiers. Panelists will discuss efforts to expand school-based mental health services, scale telehealth and community-based support programs, and strengthen cross-agency coordination through Indiana’s System of Care framework.

Indiana is in the midst of a major transformation in behavioral health, driven by the urgent need to expand access, improve outcomes, and integrate services across the continuum of care. This panel will explore the state’s evolving approach to behavioral health reform, with a focus on the role of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model.

Indiana continues to confront alarming disparities in maternal and infant mortality—with pregnancy-related deaths at 17.5 per 100,000 live births and infant mortality hovering around 7 per 1,000 births—and significant inequities affecting low-income, Black, and Hispanic communities . This panel will explore proven, cross-sector strategies that are saving lives. Participants will examine Indiana’s robust response—including the Maternal Mortality Review Committee’s work to identify preventable deaths, implementation of “safety bundles” for hemorrhage and hypertension, statewide OB navigator programs, and universal substance-use screenings for pregnant individuals.

Indiana’s healthcare sector is directing growing attention on how to make commercial insurance more accessible, affordable, and equitable. This panel will explore the evolving dynamics of the state’s commercial health insurance market. Panelists will discuss key issues such as premium affordability, coverage gaps for working families, employer-sponsored plan design, regulatory opportunities, and the role of public-private partnerships. The conversation will also highlight innovative approaches to benefit design, cost transparency, and population health strategies that can strengthen the commercial insurance sector while improving outcomes for Hoosiers.

Hear from some of the most influential leaders on health policy reform in the Indiana Legislature. These lawmakers will discuss the main takeaways from this year’s session, legislation they’re supporting, and the healthcare reform work they’re prioritizing moving forward.

Details coming soon.