Rising health care costs are of concern to Indiana consumers, employers, policymakers, health care providers, and other health care stakeholders, especially because of poor health outcomes in the state.
Several recent analyses have elevated the discussion about the prices of hospital care in our state. However, many factors contribute to overall health care costs beyond price. Any policy interventions, based upon a limited understanding of the larger context, unnecessarily risks positioning stakeholders against each other without addressing the overall problem.
This report is motivated by the need to move Indiana towards lower overall health care costs especially through concerted efforts that will improve the health of Hoosiers.
We believe that the work represented in this report is a preliminary step towards developing an Indiana strategic plan for health care. A necessary next step is to convene stakeholders for further discussion, contemplation, and activation based on consensus and known best practices.