INDIANA (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Indiana healthcare providers have been given an ultimatum from Republican leaders of the legislature: Lower prices or they’ll force the issue.
The ultimatum or threat comes from House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Rod Bray in a letter to healthcare providers and insurance companies.
They said hospital bills in Indiana are among the highest in the nation-50 percent or more than elsewhere and if the industry doesn’t act, they will.
They wrote, "We understand the healthcare industry and its pricing structures are complicated, but that's not an excuse to ignore the problem and let prices grow — at a rate significantly higher than inflation — at the expense of hardworking Hoosiers and business owners."
They set a deadline of April 1 to propose a plan to bring prices in line with the national average by 2025.
The letter also stated, "Absent a viable plan, we will be left with no choice but to pursue legislation to statutorily reduce prices."
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