Whitney Downard

Report finds family caregivers provide $10.8B in unreimbursed care

An estimated 790,000 Hoosiers provide more than 740 million hours of care to their elders as family caregivers, a service which the AARP values at more than $10.8 billion, which is a fraction of the $600 billion nationwide that family caregivers give.... Read More

Budget alters salary calculations and public health allocations

The House version of the proposed budget contains a few interesting standalone items outside of the K-12 funding boost that heavily favors vouchers and ongoing support for the Indiana Economic Development Corp.... Read More

Health care bills aim to reform insurance, Medicaid reimbursement rates

A slew of health care bills moving through the legislature target high prices for Hoosiers by encouraging competition and restructuring how the state pays for services under Medicaid. But critics say the bills don’t go far enough and more is needed to reform the system.... Read More

House passes $43.4B budget with no Democrat votes

Indiana Republicans passed their $43.3 billion budget proposal without any Democrat support, with the minority party denouncing the millions earmarked to expand school vouchers. Nearly half of the budget, 48%, goes to K-12 education.... Read More

Anti-trans medical care bill passes Senate committee

A bill banning gender-affirming medical care for minors passed a Senate health committee easily on Wednesday, despite the nonstop chanting and outrage of opponents.... Read More

TIF districts get more scrutiny under House bill

The popular economic development tool used by Hoosier cities and counties, known commonly as TIF districts, will face additional scrutiny under a proposal from Rep. Bob Cherry, R-Greenfield. “We’re trying to have some transparency,” Cherry said during a committee hearing on Monday. “We don’t want to hurt TIF but we want to make sure it’s working.”... Read More