Protecting access to care & keeping costs down – Indiana can do both

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By JACK RUSSELL
Guest Columnist

Ensuring businesses and communities thrive requires smart policies that support growth, stability, and the well-being of Hoosiers. That includes making sure healthcare remains affordable – not just for employers, but for employees and their families.

Providing quality health coverage is one of the most important commitments businesses make to their workforce. Companies of all sizes work hard to offer strong benefits, ensuring that employees can get the care they need without facing unmanageable costs. Prior authorization plays a key role in making that possible.

This safeguard ensures that patients receive the right treatments, prescriptions, and procedures – without unnecessary delays or inflated costs. It prevents wasteful spending that drives up insurance premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and overall healthcare expenses. Without it, both employers and employees would face higher costs and fewer options for coverage.

For example, when a patient experiences severe abdominal pain, prior authorization can help confirm whether an ultrasound – a widely used, effective diagnostic tool – should be the first step before moving to a more expensive and invasive CT scan. This helps ensure patients receive the right care while avoiding unnecessary procedures, leading to faster diagnoses and lower costs for families.

Yet, state lawmakers are considering a proposal that would weaken or eliminate prior authorization – removing a tool that protects patients from unnecessary treatments and businesses from rising premiums. If this legislation moves forward, healthcare costs will increase statewide, straining businesses, employees, and taxpayers alike.

Indiana has long been a pro-business, pro-growth state, but that doesn’t mean choosing between affordability and access to care. Prior authorization ensures patients get effective, necessary care while preventing skyrocketing costs that hurt families and employers.

Lawmakers should focus on solutions that reduce costs responsibly – without eliminating safeguards that work. Employers want to provide comprehensive, affordable healthcare, and Hoosiers deserve policies that help them do just that.

We must ensure Indiana remains a place where businesses grow, employees thrive, and families have access to the care they need. That means reconsidering Senate Bill 480 and keeping effective cost-saving measures like prior authorization in place.

Jack Russell is the President and CEO of OneZone Chamber, which serves as a unified voice and advocate for businesses across Hamilton County and the surrounding region.