Dear Forum Friends,
We’re excited to bring you this new issue of the Employers’ Voice. Included in this issue are links to our recent policy summaries and an overview of the data sources recently updated in Sage Transparency. Also, feel free to sit back and dive into the numerous healthcare articles we have linked down below. Happy reading!
Dave Kelleher
President and CEO, Employers’ Forum of Indiana
Inside the Forum
Sage Transparency 2.0 Data Update
Our free, online tool Sage Transparency 2.0 has once again been updated! As of April 8, the following data were updated:
NASHP Hospital Cost Tool:
- Financial data updated to reflect 2023 numbers
CMS Hospital Star Ratings:
- Ratings were updated to reflect the CMS release on February 19, 2025
Quantros Hospital Quality Reliability Scores:
- Scores updated to reflect new data
January Advisors:
- Legislator mapping data updated to reflect 2024 elections
2025 Indiana Legislative Healthcare Summary
The 2025 Indiana Legislative session was one for the books and focused heavily on healthcare. The Forum helped to pass meaningful legislation aimed at addressing healthcare prices, consolidation, and accountability. Below are two Forum resources highlighting some of this session’s key healthcare legislative action.
2025 Indiana Legislative Healthcare Summary
(written summary)
2025 Indiana Legislative Healthcare Recap
(slide deck)
In the News
Employers:
- Podcast: No Extra Care, Just Extra Cost: Facility Fees with Patricia Kelmar (CPR)
- Survey: 36% of Employers Now Cover GLP-1’s for Weight Loss and Diabetes (BenefitsPro)
Hospitals:
- Podcast: Hospital Consolidation Across Geographic Markets with Katie Gudiksen and Brent Fulton (CPR)
- Making Hospital Tax Breaks Work for Communities (Lown Institute)
- Nonprofit Hospitals Are Quiet Quitting Their Charitable Missions (The Well News)
- 100 Rural Hospitals Have Closed Labor and Delivery In 5 Years: Report (Beckers)
- FTC, Indiana AG Urge Rejection of HCA, Union Health Merger (Beckers)
- Beyond Cost Shifting: Market Power as the Key Driver of Hospital Prices (ERIC)
Pharmacy:
- Roche Diagnostics Hopes New Self-Collection HPV Test Will Expand Screening for Cervical Cancer Risk (IBJ)
- The 25 Most Expensive Hospital Drugs (Becker’s)
Public Health / Patients:
- 29 Million Americans Can’t Afford Health Care, Highest Number Since 2021 (Benefits Pro)
- In U.S., Inability to Pay for Care, Medicine Hits New High (Gallup)
- Podcast: Winning a Two-Year Fight Over a Bogus Bill (An Arm and A Leg)
- Preserving Young Patient’s Hair Prompts IU Surgeons’ Invention (IBJ)
Policy:
- How Much Will That Surgery Cost? Hospital Prices Remain Largely Unhelpful. (KFF)
- Braun’s ‘Make Indiana Healthy Again’ Plan Tightens Food Stamp Requirements, Examines Hoosier Nutrition (IBJ)
- Indiana Lawmakers Send Hospital Pricing Legislation to Braun (IBJ)
- States Take The Reins on Insurance Reform (Politico)
Other:
- Improving Price Transparency Data: Recommendations From Practice (Health Affairs)
Do you have a suggestion or contribution for our next newsletter? Contact us.