INDIANAPOLIS — County health departments across Indiana are reeling after lawmakers slashed public health funding by 64%, a move local officials say threatens critical community programs and reverses recent progress made under the Health First Indiana initiative.
Approved in 2023, the Health First Indiana program was initially funded with a historic $225 million investment to be distributed over two years, following recommendations from former Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Public Health Commission. That investment marked a turning point for Indiana’s public health infrastructure, with funding levels increasing from $15 per resident, 49th in the nation, to a more competitive national ranking.
However, due to an unexpected $2.4 billion state budget shortfall, the Indiana General Assembly reduced the initiative’s funding to just $80 million for the next two years. Local health officials say the reduction has forced them to scale back or eliminate new programs designed to improve access to care, address chronic diseases, and combat mental health and substance abuse challenges…