Groups Across Indiana Urge Lawmakers to Address Health Care Provider Access

Groups from across the Indiana have announced the launch of Hoosiers for Health Care Access (HHCA), a coalition representing ten Indiana patient, business, faith and community-based organizations. They are calling on state legislators and Governor Holcomb to address the issue of access to health care delivered by the provider of their choice. In an open letter the groups say over the past two years, the public health emergency temporarily empowered patients with greater health care choice through direct access to advanced practice registered nurses, and urges lawmakers to make this permanent. It’s signed by the Indiana Chamber, AARP Indiana, Americans for Prosperity-Indiana, the Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Indiana, the Convenient Care Association, the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Purdue University NW College of Nursing, INhouse Primary Care, Rounding Providers and Sojourner Truth House. They say more than 2 million Hoosiers live in federally designated primary care provider shortage areas and 4.7 million more lack access to mental health care. They also said 33 out of 92 counties are classified as obstetric deserts, meaning women in over a third of the state don’t have access to vital health care services or don’t have a hospital with labor and delivery capabilities. Here’s a link for more details.