Liz Brown Speaks about Senate Bill 473 at News Conference

Source: Photo: Eric Berman/WIBC)

STATEHOUSE — State Senator Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne) spoke at a news conference Tuesday about Senate Bill 473.  

This bill has many changes to Indiana health care laws. They are trying to reduce unnecessary government regulations, as well as update health care practice.  

“We’re going to realign our opioid treatment program. There are methadone clinics, which individuals desperately need that treatment and want to stay in that treatment,” Brown says.  

Brown also says they’re making sure people have access to that treatment as well. She says they are going to put in the effort to give people more access to clinics because there are people who want to stay in treatments like the opioid treatment program.  

“We have what’s called “credentialing with the state,” as well as hospitals, and so, as you can imagine, especially nowadays, many hospitals also own outpatient centers,” Brown says.  

Brown says hospitals are not on the same schedule. She says working with health care workers is how they can improve Indiana’s health system.  

Under I-ACHE 3.0, which is “Managed Care Organization Dispute Resolution,” The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) would be required to set up an appeals process for healthcare providers that disagrees with a managed care organization’s (MCO) decision to reject a claim.  

There are also changes to opioid treatment programs, such as:  

• The Division of Mental Health and Addiction would be kept from requiring a treatment program’s medical director to hold hospital admitting rights.  

• Patients who fail drug tests would see their testing frequency reduced from weekly to monthly.  

• Letting opioid treatment programs close on Sundays and holidays.