NEWS & VIEWS

February 13, 2025

Federal Updates

HHS Secretary - Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services was confirmed by the Senate today (2/13) with a vote of 52-48.

Medicaid in Congress - Congressional Republicans are discussing various cuts to Medicaid to pay for tax cuts and border enforcement policies requested by the President. Potential changes include adding work requirements and augmenting fraud reduction efforts. Lawmakers are hoping to use what is known as "budget reconciliation" to move these changes.

Potential Changes to Medicaid - CKF-IN friend and speaker, Sara Rosenbaum, joined Alison Barkoff in a recent Health Affairs article entitled, "What Lies Ahead For Medicaid In Budget Reconciliation?"

They write "Should Congress pursue a wide range of possible budget-cutting strategies, all Medicaid populations, from the youngest infants to the most vulnerable older adults, inevitably will feel the effects. Moreover, the safety net health care providers that disproportionately serve the poorest and highest-need patients, and indeed the health care system as a whole, will be at risk. The changes under consideration, if enacted, would shake Medicaid’s very structural foundations and imperil its future as the nation’s largest public health insurer."

State Updates

Legislation in the General Assembly

• SB 2 was amended in Committee today (2/13). Changes include prohibiting certain entities from advertising or otherwise marketing the Medicaid program, exempts pregnant women and people recently released from incarceration from some eligibility requirements, removes the 36-month plan limit, and requires FSSA to apply for an 1115 demonstration waiver instead of a State Plan Amendment. The bill still includes changes to Medicaid eligibility in self-attestation, closer scrutiny on Presumptive Eligibility (PE) for hospitals, and limitations on HIP including work requirements and enrollment caps.

• SB 96 would allow pharmacies to administer any approved vaccine instead of needing to wait for the IN General Assembly to pass legislation allowing it. It is now before the full Senate for amendment and vote.

• SB 142 allows for eviction sealing in certain circumstances. Stable housing is an important factor in maintaining good health status, and removing the "Scarlet A" from Hoosier's records reinforces strong health policy.

• SB 409, a bill to ensure parents have time away from work to attend their child's school case conference meetings, was put back on second reading this week, potentially indicating it needs other amendments to pass the chamber.

• Two bills related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies have been combined. The text of SB 235 was amended into SB 289, which then passed the Senate 34-13.



• Legislation on education has been plentiful this session. Chalkbeat Indiana has a bill tracker detailing the status of those bills.

Introducing New Solutions to Activate a Critical Component of Youth Thriving: Relationships

Through the benefits of developmental relationships, young people move beyond surviving to thriving. However, a relationship gap exists for too many young people—the gap between what they need, and what they experience. Below are enhanced professional learning experiences that support adults in youth-serving organizations. Building the core skills and mindsets necessary to bring developmental relationships to life for young people serves the individuals, organizations, and community at many levels

• New Learning Experience Series: The Fundamentals of Developmental Relationships
• Youth Opportunity Navigator: The Power of Supportive Relationships and Grow Youth Social Capital
• Thriving Through Developmental Relationships: A Training-of-Trainers and Certification Program

Call for Sponsors is Open!

Sponsorship levels and associated benefits can be found in the Sponsorship Prospectus below.

Submission deadline is April 1, 2025.

Call for Exhibitors is Open!

Conference attendance is expected to be over 600 professionals including but not limited to: educators and school administrators, nurses and other healthcare professionals, social workers, outreach and enrollment specialists, managed care professionals, child health advocates, early childhood professionals, and government program partners. The information and resources that exhibitors provide are an integral part of the overall success of the conference.

Reserve your booth now - space is limited!

Information Protections

Navigators encounter families and individuals who are concerned about their personal information being shared outside the application process with other governmental or law enforcement agencies. Indiana Health Coverage Program Policy Manual section 2402.20.50 reads:

"Under no circumstances are immigrants who lack immigration documentation or whose immigration status cannot be verified, who are applying for or receiving traditional Medicaid or Hoosier Healthwise, to be reported by the Division of Family and Children to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). This also applies to family members of such applicants."

Medicaid Impact

The Commonwealth Fund created state specific Medicaid fact sheets. Below are some highlights from the Indiana specific fact sheet.

• Indiana received $13 billion in federal support for Medicaid in 2023 accounting for 75% of total Medicaid spending in Indiana.
• Adults insured with Medicaid are least likely to report medical debt.
• 38% of children and 18% of adults living in rural areas are covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

FSSA Updates Waiver Invitation Process for HCBS

The Family and Social Services Administration is updating its waiver invitation process to improve access to and utilization of services by implementing a deadline for individuals to complete steps to access the waiver.  

Effective immediately, individuals invited off the waiting list for the PathWays HCBS Waiver and Health and Wellness Waiver have 180 days to complete all required steps to begin receiving home and community-based waiver services. Previously, no timeline was enforced for individuals to complete all eligibility and service plan development steps.  

The 2024 Medicaid Eligibility & Enrollment Rule

Saves State Resources

This Fast Fact sheet from the National Health Law Program describes how the new Eligibility & Enrollment Final Rule simplifies the state process of determining Medicaid eligibility and enrolling people in their Medicaid programs The new rule streamlines existing procedures, lessens the administrative burden on states, and ultimately saves states time, money, and resources.

Tax Season

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offers free tax help to people who generally make less than $60,000, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. VITA IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.

Call 2-1-1 for local locations or click here.

Immigrant Rights

Many in the Haitian population may be unable to fully read or understand the ACLU Know Your Rights (KYR) cards that are being shared. To fill this gap, a Haitian Creole language expert in Indianapolis has created a video version of the KYR card.

Regardless of immigration status, people in the United States have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center offers “Red Cards” that can help people assert these rights. One side is in English and the other is in one of 17 languages. The cards can be ordered from redcardorders.com or files are available to print from any printer. 

Advancing Maternal Health Equity: How Can Research, Policy, and Advocacy Inform Solutions?

Maternal and infant health inequities disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities. This Urban Institute webinar on February 27^th from 1 – 4 pm EST promises to be a robust, solutions-based discussion exploring evidence, experience, and policy considerations.

Public Policy and Philanthropy Series 

On Feb. 24 at 4:30 p.m. at Madame Walker Legacy Center and online, Dr. Amir Pasic, dean of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and Diane Kaplan, senior fellow at the school, will discuss topics of public policy and philanthropy with Romanita Hairston, Chief Executive Officer of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

Panelists will illuminate how philanthropy can inform and influence key areas of policy that affect human well-being, and the ways in which policy shapes the strategies that are available to philanthropy as it pursues the public good.

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