Public health remains top priority for Indiana even as budget is lowered, report says

An original gubernatorial proposal for a public health budget of $243 million annually in Indiana may have been lowered, but Hoosier state legislators are focusing on healthcare as a top priority in the new 2023 session, according to a Jan. 10 report in the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

A slew of proposed bills include $30 million in funding for behavioral health clinics, better oversight on patient billing and a ban on noncompete clauses for physicians.

"These incentive payments limit competition in the healthcare marketplace and don't do anything to improve care for patients,” said Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne, the author of the bill on noncompetes. "It's time we ban this anti-competitive behavior for the good of Hoosier patients."

The original $243 million annual budget figure was dialed back by Gov. Eric Holcomb, with $120 million now pursued in fiscal 2024 and $227 million in fiscal 2025, the report said.

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