A study committee is considering whether to recommend policy changes regarding a state law that resulted in decreased Medicaid payments for out-of-state hospitals providing trauma or neonatal emergency care to Indiana children, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Indiana Medicaid currently reimburses out-of-state hospitals at significantly lower rates to provide this care compared to Indianapolis-based Riley Hospital for Children, the newspaper reported.
University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital and Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago are pushing for changes to the rules. Representaitves from both recently appeared in front of the state general assembly's interim study committee on fiscal policy.
According to the Times, the representatives told the committee the hospitals would pay the state's hospital assessment fee to receive Medicaid rates for in-state hospitals, if permitted to do so by law.
If the study committee decides to recommend policy changes, the Indiana General Assembly will consider them when it convenes next year.
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