STATEHOUSE (Oct. 1, 2024) – The Indiana Behavioral Health Commission released their final report and recommendations for year and State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh) said she’s supportive of several of the group’s legislative recommendations.
Ledbetter, a member of the commission, joined other legislators at the Statehouse on Tuesday to discuss the IBHC’s findings in their report and recommendations for the upcoming legislative session starting in January. The commission analyzed many topics including workforce issues, mental health contracts, mental health care in young and elderly Hoosiers, and improving accessibility of behavioral and mental health care.
“The Indiana Behavioral Health Commission has studied a variety of challenging topics throughout the year,” Ledbetter said. “Many of these topics are greatly complex and do not have a simple answer. I commend the commission for diligently study these issues and their robust discussion throughout.”
Ledbetter, who is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, said many workforce issues were discussed by the commission such as ending collaborative practice agreements between Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and physicians. Collaborative agreements are a general provision of medical care where physicians are required to review five percent of the documentation of care provided by other advanced professionals such as APRNs.
“Ending collaborative agreements between APRNs and physicians is important as the system in place is not a real-time review of health care work as one would think,” Ledbetter said. “Often, physicians review patient charts months after care is provided. These agreements are also fees that are paid to physicians by APRNs, which usually end up being costs passed down to patients.”
The report also recommends improving mental health affordability by reducing the disparity gap between private medical insurance provider reimbursements to those of Medicare such as co-pays, administrative burden and out-of-network charges.
The commission also recommended expanding the multisystemic therapy system for adolescents with severe mental health needs to reduce risk of incarceration and residential treatment. This therapy provides individualized and intensive, in-home treatment through a licensed therapist and other monitoring measures. Additionally, the commission wants to improve the accessibility of behavioral health care and the mental health of Hoosiers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Ledbetter said she looks forward to discussing these recommendations and findings with her colleagues during the 2025 session.
