Employers' Forum of Indiana

Addressing the challenges of the local healthcare marketplace

Home | EFI News and Updates | Newsletters | Issue 31
dark blue to white gradient

Issue 31

Dear Forum Friends,

Hoping everyone is enjoying this warmer weather. We are only two weeks away from our National Healthcare Price Transparency Conference and invite everyone to register if you have not done so already. In addition to information about the conference, in this newsletter you can find some exciting policy updates (goodbye non competes!) and plenty of articles to help you stay current on what is happening in the healthcare space.

Looking forward to seeing everyone May 13th and happy reading!

Gloria Sachdev
President and CEO, Employers’ Forum of Indiana

Inside the Forum

Register Today!

Join us on May 13, 2024 from 9:00am – 5:00pm ET for the National Healthcare Price Transparency Conference at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis!!

Our robust agenda includes a Keynote from Mark Cuban and presentations from many more experts. Some highlights of this free in person and virtual conference include…

  • Hear the results of the RAND 5.0 study noting the variability of price among hospitals, ASCs and for the first time, physician administered medications.
  • See the updated Sage Transparency 2.0, to include more graphs, more quality and financial data, as well as a new legislator dashboard!
  • Participate in interactive panel discussions featuring health policy experts and employers.
  • Attend the Networking Cocktail hour after the conference.

For more information, please visit the Employers’ Forum of Indiana National Conference website.

Join In-Person Waitlist
Virtual Registration

Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming All – Stakeholder Meetings

Details will be distributed to members one month prior to each meeting.

  • August 22nd – 23rd: Two day Conference, a partnership between the National Association of Worksite Health Centers and EFI
  • November 7th: In Person, Agenda TBD

If interested in reviewing past meeting materials, click here.

National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC) 12th Annual Forum

Directions and Success Factors in Onsite, Near-site and Virtual Health Centers

NAWHC and EFI invite you to participate in the 12th Annual Forum, August 22 & 23, 2024, at the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, IN.

NAWHC is the nation’s only trade organization focused on helping employers and others understand the potential and value of onsite health services, as well to enable existing employer clinics to increase their capabilities and integration of other worksite programs and benefits. Members include employers and their vendor and provider partners. The conference is expected to have nearly 200 participants. For more information, click here.

EFI Resources

2024 Indiana Legislative Session

The Session began on January 8 and concluded on March 8. A total of 739 bills (443 bills in the House and 296 bills in the Senate) were introduced. Of those introduced, 172 bills passed by the Indiana General Assembly, resulting in an overall passage percentage rate of 23%. This report summarizes EFI priority and other key healthcare legislation that passed into law. Read the full summary and view the April 18th summary slides.

2024 Accomplishments

  1. Through SEA 9, EFI successfully advocated for language requiring health care entities with total assets of at least $10,000,000 to give notice of a merger or acquisition to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office 90 days prior to the date of the merger or acquisition.
  2. Another one of EFI’s top priorities for the session was strengthening data transparency. HEA 1259 incorporates language originally in HB 1327, which includes the following provisions: requiring contracts with TPAs, PBMs, or prepaid health care delivery plans to provide that the plan sponsor has ownership of claims data; allowing for contract holders, plan sponsors (or FSSA or SPD) to request an unfettered audit of a PBM, TPA (or MCO or prepaid health care delivery plan) once a year to include what was submitted and paid to providers/pharmacies via the 837/835 electronic file transactions; requirements for specific information that must be included in the audit if requested; and prohibitions on fees and certain conditions related to requesting an audit.
  3. HEA 1332 is a larger insurance matters bill that contained provisions amending language from SEA 8 (2023) relating to rebates at the point of sale. There was a potential amendment in the House Insurance committee which would have removed the employers’ ability to determine how to distribute and share savings. We opposed this amendment, and it was ultimately not included in the bill.
  4. HEA 1385 was introduced to address the crisis ground ambulance/EMS providers. Originally, the bill required a health plan operator to provide payment to a nonparticipating ambulance service provider at a rate not to exceed the rates set or approved by contract or ordinance by the county or municipality in which the services originated, at 500% of Medicare, or at the nonparticipating ambulance provider’s billed charges were, whichever is less. After EFI and others expressed concern of the 500% of Medicare rate, this was reduced to a 400% of Medicare cap. The latest version of the bill also exempted the state health plan as well as EMS operated by hospital systems. 
Banning Non Competes

2

FTC Announces Rule Banning Non Competes

On April 23rd, the FTC issued a final rule to promote competition by banning noncompetes nationwide, protecting the fundamental freedom of workers to change jobs, increase innovation and foster business growth. This encompasses noncompetes in the healthcare space, including non profits, see pages 50-54 of the final rule.

In the 2023 Indiana Legislative Session, the General Assembly passed SEA 7 which bans primary care physician (family medicine, general pediatric medicine, and internal medicine) noncompetes effective July 1, 2023. Noncompetes are also prohibited in the following instances:

  1. The employer terminates the physician’s employment without cause.
  2. The physician terminates the physician’s employment for cause.
  3. The physician’s employment contract has expired and the physician and employer have fulfilled the obligations of the contract.
In the News

EFI In the News:

Employers:

Hospitals

Providers & Physicians

Private Equity

Insurance

Pharmacy

Policy:

Other Healthcare News

Do you have a suggestion or contribution for our next newsletter? Contact us.

Filed under: