Indy Standard

The Indiana Behavioral Health Commission has released its final report and recommendations for the year. State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh) expressed her support for several of the group's legislative suggestions.

Ledbetter, a member of the commission, joined other legislators at the Statehouse on Tuesday to discuss the IBHC's findings and recommendations for the upcoming legislative session starting in January. The commission analyzed various topics including workforce issues, mental health contracts, mental health care for young and elderly Hoosiers, and improving accessibility to 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 studying these issues and their robust discussion throughout."

Ledbetter, who is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, highlighted that many workforce issues were discussed by the commission, such as ending collaborative practice agreements between Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and physicians. Collaborative agreements require physicians to review five percent of the documentation provided by APRNs.

"Ending collaborative agreements between APRNs and physicians is important as the system in place is not a real-time review of healthcare 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 compared to those of Medicare in terms of co-pays, administrative burden, and out-of-network charges.

Additionally, the commission recommended expanding multisystemic therapy for adolescents with severe mental health needs to reduce risks such as incarceration and residential treatment. This therapy involves individualized and intensive in-home treatment through licensed therapists and other monitoring measures. The commission also aims to improve access to behavioral health care for Hoosiers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Ledbetter looks forward to discussing these recommendations with her colleagues during the 2025 session.