The Indiana Hospital Association is aiming to “expose abusive insurer practices” through its Access Denied campaign, a Feb. 17 news release said.
The initiative includes a web portal addressing care denials, amplifies media coverage of denials and prompts people to submit their own stories. It also claims hospitals have worked toward lowering their commercial prices, citing a report by the Indiana Department of Insurance.
A 2025 American Medical Association report found Indiana’s commercial market is dominated by Elevance Health with a 57% share, followed by UnitedHealth Group with 16%. The release mentioned both these insurers.
A spokesperson for Elevance said the insurer has contributed to the cost reductions across five health systems through “collaborative work with providers” and a shift to fixed pricing.
“Hospital services in Indiana have long been among the most expensive in the United States,” the spokesperson told Becker’s on Feb. 18. “We continue to stand up for Hoosiers by negotiating to lower healthcare costs, simplifying the system and fulfilling our responsibility to ensure our members have access to affordable healthcare.”
In a January congressional hearing, UnitedHealthcare faced questions about its claims denial rate. One representative asked about a 33% in-network denial rate for UnitedHealthcare’s marketplace plans in 2023 based on a KFF analysis of CMS data, but UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley disputed the figure. On its website, UnitedHealth says it has a 98% claims approval rate but does not specify the rate for marketplace plans.
IHA President Scott Tittle encouraged legislative reform, pointing to an Indiana General Assembly bill that would prevent imposing penalties on facilities using out-of-network providers. The Indiana State Medical Association and Indiana Physicians Health Alliance also backed the bill. The campaign platform allows Indiana residents to contact their state representatives and advocate for the bill.
Mr. Tittle also supported another state bill that would limit downcoding, block retroactive payment rate reductions and restrict clawbacks.
UnitedHealth Group declined to comment on IHA’s campaign.
