The report from Indiana University’s Fairbanks School of Public Health found that Indiana resembles other states on measures like insurance premiums and health spending by Medicaid and Medicare. However, one key area where Indiana differs is the prevalence of self-insured health plans, where the employer is financially responsible for the enrollee’s medical costs.
Nir Menachemi, dean of the Fairbanks School, said Hoosiers employed in the private sector are 20 percent more likely than other Americans to be enrolled in self-insured plans.
“This is not a good thing or a bad thing in and of itself,” Menachemi said. “It’s just the dynamic of our market, but it might have implications for how hospitals and insurers negotiate rates each year.”…