Perhaps NOT Up in Smoke
. Tobacco reform has long been among OneZone’s legislative priorities as Indiana’s tobacco use costs Hoosier businesses over $6 billion a year in health care costs, absenteeism, and productivity loss. As such, perhaps the most promising news coming out of Organizational Day is that both House and Senate Republican leadership will support raising the age of smoking/vaping from 18 to 21 this upcoming session. While it’s highly doubtful that the budget will be re-opened to increase the cigarette tax as proposed in previous sessions, health care policy will be a dominating issue during the upcoming legislative session. Surprise billing, health care transparency, and hospital costs will all part of the 2020 discussion.