FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Two state legislators honored by Indiana physicians

(NOBLESVILLE) - The Indiana State Medical Association (ISMA) honored two state legislators at its annual convention Sunday.

Indiana Representative Brad Barrett, MD, (R-Richmond) was awarded the ISMA Lifetime Achievement Award. The only physician in the Indiana House of Representatives, Dr. Barrett, Chair of the House Public Health Committee, will be retiring from the Statehouse at the end of this year. Dr. Barrett has championed physicians since he assumed a House of Representatives seat in 2018. He was also named Legislator of the Year by ISMA in 2023.

As chief surgeon at Reid Hospital and president and owner of General Surgeons in Richmond before running for office, Dr. Barrett has had a major impact in shielding Indiana physicians and patients from scope creep, prior authorization, downcoding, and employment restrictions, including physician noncompete clauses. Dr. Barrett’s perspective as a physician helped shape many bills into their final versions with physicians' and patients' perspectives in mind. Dr. Barrett also authored bills addressing licensing standards for rural emergency hospitals and do-not-resuscitate orders.

“I have a lot of pride in my last 8 years of working there,” Dr. Brad Barrett said. “You have to advocate for your profession. I don’t care if it is in the building that you work in or on a grander scale. We have to advocate for this profession. There is great effort to downgrade what we do, which is a lifetime commitment. It’s the greatest profession in the world. Thank you for this award. It was the easiest thing I ever did.”

Sen. Scott Baldwin (R-Noblesville) was named Legislator of the Year for 2026. ISMA honors one member of the General Assembly for their work to improve health care in Indiana every year.

Indiana has become the first state in the nation to pass bipartisan legislation protecting patient access to timely, medically necessary care by prohibiting insurance companies from imposing financial penalties on hospitals and facilities when a patient’s care involves an out-of-network provider. Sen. Baldwin authored the bill that made this possible.

“The legislation was a critical step toward protecting patient access to high-quality care and curbing unfair insurer practices within Indiana’s health care system, where Elevance, including its Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, controls 68% of Indiana’s commercial insurance market,” said Chair of the Commission on Legislation J. Elizabeth Struble, MD. “The policy could have led to unintended consequences, including delayed care, increased travel burdens for patients, and the loss of critical services hospitals can provide.” 

The measure came as Elevance (formerly known as Anthem) implemented its “Facility Administrative Policy: Use of a Nonparticipating Care Provider” in Indiana on Jan. 1, 2026. Under the policy, hospitals and other outpatient facilities faced a 10% reimbursement cut if any out-of-network clinician participated in care. Without similar legislative action, 10 other states - Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin - remain subject to the Elevance policy, with other payers following suit.

###

About the Indiana State Medical Association  
The Indiana State Medical Association (ISMA) is a federation of county and district medical societies across Indiana. With 9,000 physician and medical student members, the ISMA seeks to maximize the leadership and impact of physicians, make Indiana one of the best states in which to practice medicine, and make Hoosiers among the healthiest people in the country. Learn more about the ISMA’s mission and history at www.ismanet.org. 

For more information: 
Krista Rutherford, Managing Editor, Indiana State Medical Association