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Health First Indiana Funding
Two years ago, the Indiana General Assembly passed a budget that included historic funding levels for public health. That program became known as Health First Indiana (HFI) and is again in the budget, but some lawmakers are questioning the return on investment (ROI) from the allocation. The Center for Health Policy at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health released a preliminary report on the estimated cost savings. "This preliminary report... estimates cost savings from three key service areas that Local Health Departments (LHDs) have been able to provide and expand using HFI funds: (1) prenatal care, (2) blood pressure screenings, and (3) fall prevention services. Our preliminary analysis shows that the estimated direct and indirect costs savings in the first 8 months of this initiative attributed to just these 3 services total $94,394,667."
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The Future of Medicaid and CHIP
One month ago, the House of Representative passed a budget resolution that advances President Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax-cut agenda and aims to reduce federal spending by up to $2 trillion over the next 10 years. The legislation was approved in a 217-215 vote and now heads to the Senate.
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are jointly funded between the federal and state governments. The federal government matches state Medicaid spending through a formula called the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, which varies by state.
Medicaid provides healthcare coverage to about 72 million Americans, and reduction in funding could destabilize healthcare access nationwide. Medicaid cuts could leave many hospitals struggling to operate, particularly in rural areas where Medicaid is a financial lifeline. The potential Medicaid cuts come at a time when 432 rural hospitals are already at risk of closure.
| | SCHOOLS & EARLY CHILDHOOD | | | | |
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Nominate a School Health Champion
Nominations for the Governor & Cheri Daniels School Health Award, to be presented at the 2025 ISHN Conference, are now being accepted.
This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated leadership and dedication to promoting school health and wellness activities in Indiana schools.
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ISHN Conference Sponsorship
Sponsorship levels and associated benefits can be found in the Sponsorship Prospectus below.
Submission deadline is April 1, 2025.
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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!
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Uninsured Young Adults
The Urban Institute published a new report examining the demographic, eligibility, and geographic characteristics of uninsured young adults (18-24). Overall, young adults are more likely to be uninsured than any other group despite many of them being eligible for Medicaid or advance premium tax credits (APTC) in the Marketplace.
In Indiana,
- 58,000 Hoosiers in this age category are uninsured. 57% of them are eligible for Medicaid and 8% are eligible for APTC in the Marketplace.
- 52% of Hoosiers in this age category who are uninsured are working and 46% are students.
- 189,000 Hoosiers in this age category have Medicaid and 356,000 have employer sponsored insurance (42% through a parent).
Other findings include:
- In the US, among young adults (18-24) who are Medicaid eligible, the highest uninsured rate is Hispanic young adults (11.4%) and individuals who did not complete high school (12.8%).
- Young adults who have a noncitizen family member have an uninsured rate of 38
- Young adults with a household income at or below 138% of federal poverty level (FPL) have an uninsured rate of 15% compared to 5% among young adults with incomes above 400% FPL.
- The unwinding of pandemic continuous Medicaid coverage appears to have led to higher disenrollment among young adults compared to other age groups. The end of enhanced APTC for Marketplace in December 2025 is cause for concern that this group will again be impacted resulting in their uninsured rate rising.
Research suggests that outreach to young adults
- Include information about how insurance works since this group has low health insurance literacy.
- Emphasize the benefits of coverage and be transparent about costs and enrollment procedures.
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The ACA Turned 15!
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) celebrated its 15th anniversary on March 23rd. ACA reforms have led to the lowest uninsured rate in US history and offer everyone protections.
The ACA:
- Prevents discriminatory practices: Prior to the ACA, health insurers could discriminate against people deemed risky for high health care costs – this included pregnant people – by charging higher premiums, refusing to cover preexisting health conditions, or by denying coverage based on health status.
- Provides comprehensive coverage: Prior to the ACA, even healthy people were not always able to buy comprehensive coverage.
- Bans Coverage Limits: prior to the ACA, health insurance could have annual or lifetime limits.
- Offers the Marketplace: Prior to the ACA, if your employer didn’t offer affordable coverage, there were few or no options for comprehensive coverage.
- Reduces inequities in health care access: Prior to the ACA, the uninsured rate for Black and Hispanic adults was 9.9% and 25.7% higher than white adults. While disparities persist, the coverage gap is now significantly lower.
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Medicaid and CHIP Coverage by Congressional District
Nearly 80 million low-income children and adults, pregnant people, older adults, and people with disabilities are covered by Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Who is covered by Medicaid and CHIP in your congressional district? Who in your district might be impacted by budget and policy changes? Learn more about the breakdown at Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Mapped by 119th Congressional Districts - Center for American Progress.
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MACStats
MACStats presents data and information on Medicaid and CHIP that can be difficult to find or require looking across multiple data sources. MACStats is updated online as new data become available, and published in print as a data book at the end of the year. The tables and figures found here thus represent MACPAC’s most up-to-date statistics on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and spending and document key aspects of both programs including federal matching rates, eligibility levels, and access to care measures, among others.
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Federal Cuts and State Economies
The Commonwealth Fund released a report, How Potential Federal Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP Could Trigger the Loss of a Million-Plus Jobs, Reduced Economic Activity, and Less State Revenue.
The report estimates that if broad-based Medicaid cuts - equal to $800 billion over 10 years - are enacted then in 2026 Indiana could lose:
- $1,693,700,000 in federal funding
- $3,633,700,000 in economic output
- $147,200,000 in state and local tax revenue
- 21,300 jobs
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Inaugural National HPV Conference
The Indiana Immunization Coalition is hosting the inaugural National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Conference and you can register for it now!
The goal of this conference is to bring together U.S. professionals working in the HPV space to learn and share. While many conferences strive to include HPV as one of many topics, this conference seeks to make HPV the main topic.
Attendees will enjoy learning and connecting with peers while forming new ideas and partnerships to strengthen their HPV-related efforts.
The Conference is on April 15-17, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency, Indianapolis.
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Impacts of Policy Change on Rural Communities
Join Purdue’s Center for Rural and Migrant Health for this brown bag session on April 23rd at noon ET to learn more about how federal and state policy changes are impacting rural communities.
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How Medicaid Cuts Will Harm Students & Schools
This Healthy Schools Campaign webinar recording and slides, along with resources and links, is now available.
| | TOBACCO PREVENTION & CESSATION | | |
Enhanced Identification of Tobacco Use
Among Adult Medicaid Members
A study in King County, Washington (2016–2023) found that combining Medicaid enrollment data with claims data significantly improved the identification of tobacco users—especially men and those without chronic conditions. Relying only on claims data missed 14% of users, limiting opportunities for early intervention. By asking about tobacco use during enrollment, states can better connect Medicaid members with cessation support before serious health issues arise. This approach strengthens public health surveillance, helps reduce healthcare costs, and creates more targeted interventions. Public health professionals can champion this strategy to ensure more people get the support they need to quit tobacco.
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Connect with CKF
Tobacco Prevention & Cessation program on social media!
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IHCP Enrollment
Total Membership increased in February.
With 1,962,786 members, there were 3,433, or 0.18%, more members in February 2025 than in January 2025.
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