INDIANAPOLIS — A balanced state budget is headed to Indiana Governor Mike Braun's desk after lawmakers ended the 2025 session early Friday morning. Balancing the budget comes at a cost to many state programs.
Indiana's Health First program, which provides health resources for all 92 counties. It's budget saw cuts to the tune of $60 million — $100 million now down to $40 million.
"My big message is that I think we're in trouble," said Indiana Public Health Association CEO Marc McAleavy.
McAleavy is worried about public health departments across the state, especially smaller communities.
"I believe that these cuts will impact rural Indiana worse than any other part of our state," said McAleavy. "We lost over 75% of a promised support from the state for public health departments and agencies. Our communities are gonna are gonna feel it and they're gonna feel it now. Public health needs consistent, stable level funding and all we've been given is a roller coaster ride."
Health First Indiana was established in 2023 during the Holcomb administration. It allowed local health departments to distribute funds to organizations addressing community needs.
"It was really responding to the needs of the sector. Public health took a real hit during the pandemic. It really drained lots of resources. Health First Indiana was really the thing that was going to save public health. This is money that is literally keeping people alive," said McAleavy.
Gennesaret Free Clinics is a organization that provides free dental and medical services in Marion County. It also has a clinic on wheels. Milele Kennedy, executive director of Gennesaret Free Clinics, said the mobile clinic is directly funded through the program that's being cut.
"Right now, our mobile clinic goes to Horizon House, to the Carson transit center, to Old Bethel food pantry and we are looking to expand," said Kennedy.
$40 million dollars is what all 92 counties in the state have to work with, leaving local health departments to seeking funding elsewhere. The Johnson County Health Department just started using funds this year for groups aimed at preventing tobacco use, and helping women, infants, and teens.
"It's disheartening. It's gonna be hard to tell right now what the detriment of cutting these funds are going to be, but I can't believe that it's going to be a good thing," said Johnson County Health Department Director Betsy Swearingen.
While these agencies navigate the changes, they want Hoosiers to know they aren't going anywhere.
"This is a time for us to work together and IPHA, the Indiana Public Health Association will be in your communities, listening, helping lick wounds and provide connections to services in lieu of these cuts. There is a hopeful story and I don't want people to give up hope. We have to march into a future for us to be vibrant and full and meaningful lives," McAleavy said.
"And while we are navigating changes within systems, we still have patients coming in our doors every day. Which means we still need to be able to have providers to be able to meet their needs, provide those prescription medications that they need to manage their chronic disease and ensure that they have that continued support," said Kennedy.
"We will still offer the services we have. You can still come and get vaccine from us, you can still come and get tested, come in for what you need and we will still be out in the community, in the restaurants, working with our septic installers and our tattoo facilities, and anybody else that needs us on a daily basis," said Swearingen.
Other entities facing budget cuts include:
- Higher education in the state will see a 5% reduction in both operational funding and money earmarked for replacement and renewals.
- Indiana Public Broadcasting faces significant setbacks, with more than $3 million in state-allocated funds eliminated from the budget.
