The 2023 legislative session should end today, April 27^th , but has not adjourned sine die at the time we're sending this email. (Sine die means adjourning "with no appointed date for resumption" and indicates the end of the legislative session.) We will do a comprehensive policy update in the next News & Views after the dust has settled, but here are the top line items:

HB 1001 State budget – According to Republican leadership, the following will be in the budget regarding public health:

HB 1091 Eligibility under Medicaid, CHIP and other benefits – The language from SB 376, which removes the 5-year waiting period for Medicaid coverage for lawfully residing immigrants who are pregnant or under 19, has been added to this bill. The underlying bill changes the requirements for submitting eligibility information for Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees less than 19 to no more than once annually. (You may also hear it called continuous coverage.) This has passed.

SB 4 Public health commission - Delineates core public health services and their delivery as recommended by the Governor's Public Health Commission, while also increasing state level support for these local efforts. The House has passed the Conference Committee Report (CCR), which is the final agreed upon language of the bill. The Senate will need to pass the CCR as well before it can be sent to leadership and the Governor for signature. See HB 1001 for funding details.

SB 376 Lawfully residing immigrants and eligibility – See note in HB 1091.

Other bills we've been following:

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

This year’s conference School Health: Connecting the Pieces gives you the opportunity to connect with individuals, organizations, schools, and communities with whom you work.

Visit great exhibits and get the latest news and updates from school health professionals. Network with your peers and win prizes! Dynamic speakers, subject matter experts, exhibitors and networking opportunities will provide you with valuable information, resources, and inspiration to move your initiatives forward.

Since 2008, the Indiana School Health Network has assembled key stakeholders and experts in school health for the annual School Health Conference.  Each year, professionals from a wide variety of disciplines attend the conference including but not limited to:

Do you know someone who is a strong advocate for student health or a healthy school environment? Someone who has made outstanding contributions to improving statewide processes and policies that benefit Indiana schools? Someone who promotes school wellness policies, school health behaviors and activities in Indiana? Would you like to see them recognized for their work?

The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) held their monthly stakeholder meeting on 4/25/23. Several items of interest discussed include:

A recent blog post from Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families explored the increase in children with Marketplace coverage. In the last two years, the number of children covered by Marketplace plans increased by more than 50%. Nationwide, seven million children are projected to be at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage. Most are expected to still qualify but those who are no longer eligible will hopefully enroll successfully in Marketplace coverage.

With Medicaid unwinding, many of those no longer eligible for Medicaid will need to transition to other forms of coverage including employer coverage. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) recently released an Issue Brief to provide estimates of the number of Medicaid enrollees who are employed. It is estimated that 3.7 million of the Medicaid enrollees who will lose Medicaid will be eligible to enroll in an employer sponsored plan.

A new study from the Commonwealth Fund, Inequities in Health Insurance Coverage and Access for Black and Hispanic Adults – The Impact of Medicaid Expansion and the Pandemic, finds that disparities in uninsured rates between Black, White, and Hispanic adults have greatly improved in the last 10 years since the Affordable Care Act took effect. Also, in states like Indiana that expanded Medicaid, the racial and ethnic disparities were even more narrow. The study authors propose policy changes to counteract the expected negative impact of the Medicaid unwinding on this progress. Black and Hispanic people are disproportionately enrolled in Medicaid and are most at risk of losing coverage gains.

Beyond the Basics is offering two upcoming webinars. These will also be posted on their website afterwards.