By Luke McNamee, JD
ISMA Director of Policy and Government Affairs

The Indiana General Assembly is scheduled to begin the 2024 session on Monday, Jan. 8. Legislative leaders have been clear that 2024 will be a “transition year” with a more “focused agenda.” Rather than pursuing any major legislative changes, lawmakers plan to prioritize implementation and “fine-tuning” of major legislation passed during the last few years. This year is a short session, so lawmakers must adjourn by March 14 and expect to conclude their work in early March.

Legislators intend to prioritize reading proficiency, truancy, infrastructure, and health care costs. They are also considering ways to support accessible and affordable child care. Democrats are interested in promoting citizen-led ballot initiatives and continuing the discussion about cannabis legalization, but the majority of Republicans may be reluctant to take up those issues. 

Accordingly, ISMA has a focused, limited agenda going into the 2024 session. 

Insurance and Regulatory Matters
ISMA will continue to make the case with legislators for meaningful reductions to the burdens imposed by prior authorization. Last session, the General Assembly proposed sweeping reforms such as waivers of prior authorization for physicians with a strong track record of prior authorization or for commonly requested CPT codes. Legislators ultimately enacted a pilot program applicable only to state employees’ health plan, granting waivers for 50 commonly approved CPT codes. ISMA will continue advocating for these issues during the 2024 session.

On July 1, Indiana imposed new restrictions on physician noncompetes. Lawmakers recognized that there is more work to be done to ensure competition in the marketplace and give physicians greater freedom to practice medicine in their communities. ISMA is working with lawmakers to clarify the current law and add additional specialties. Specifically, ISMA is seeking to address the nuances of employment agreements for physicians who live near state borders, whose contracts are renewed automatically, or who are employed in unique practice environments.

Licensure Issues
ISMA is working with nonphysician practitioners and the Holcomb administration to improve the process for making changes to collaborative practice agreements (CPAs) between physicians and nonphysician practitioners. Specifically, ISMA is seeking to ensure that physicians are properly notified of any changes to their CPAs, such as when a physician is added to or removed from a CPA. ISMA is also seeking to streamline the process for adding and removing CPAs from a physician’s license and supporting appropriate penalties for failure to keep CPAs up to date.

Physician wellness is among ISMA’s strategic initiatives. One area for improvement is the wording of licensing and credentialing application questions about past diagnoses or conditions. Indiana is one of a few states that have yet to update these questions to focus on and incentivize treatment of physical, mental, or emotional issues that, if left untreated, could impact a physician’s ability to practice medicine.

Scope of Practice
Increasing health care transparency and patient safety through clear identification of physicians and health care providers in care settings and in advertising remains a priority for ISMA. Patients should be able to determine the qualifications of their physicians and health care providers easily and accurately. ISMA will continue advocating for laws that would require identification badges in the clinical setting that display an individual’s license type, as well as requiring all nonphysician practitioners practicing under a collaborative agreement in an office-based setting to clearly display their collaborating physician’s name, credentials and contact information in common areas of their offices and online.

Physician Advocacy Day
Mark your calendar now to attend the 2024 Physician Advocacy Day on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at the Indiana Statehouse. This is a great opportunity for physicians to meet with legislators, learn about the legislative process, and advocate for themselves and their patients. Make sure to RSVP to receive more detailed information: www.ismanet.org/PAD.

Stay up to date
Follow the latest updates from the legislative session through ISMA Reports; the ISMA’s weekly Legislative News, published each Friday during the session; and the ISMA podcast “The Clinic.” Learn more at www.ismanet.org/podcast.