Indiana Medicaid Director Cora Steinmetz will resign in early 2025 after navigating the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning through a forecast variance that resulted in cost containment strategies, new robust monthly financial reporting, and a more thorough policy review process.

“Few individuals have made such a remarkable impact on an agency in such a short time," FSSA Secretary Dr. Dan Rusyniak said. "Her leadership came at a pivotal moment, and Indiana was incredibly fortunate to have her at the helm of Medicaid. She guided us through unprecedented challenges with vision and determination, leaving our agency stronger, more resilient, and ready for the future.”

Steinmetz has been Medicaid director since August 2023. Previously, she worked as Gov. Eric J. Holcomb’s senior operations director for health-related state agencies, including the Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Child Services and Indiana Department of Health.

Indiana Medicaid faced an unprecedented $1 billion forecast variance in late 2023, and Steinmetz led the office in establishing a number of review and reporting practices to enhance oversight of the Medicaid budget, address the variance and ensure such a variance does not happen again, including:

• Implementation of improved financial forecasting and trend analysis, including the use of more real-time data.
• Monthly reporting processes to analyze trends and ensure transparency and stewardship of taxpayer resources.
• Development of agency-wide processes to review programmatic changes to ensure an understanding of enrollment, utilization, and reimbursement impacts.

Additionally, under her leadership, Indiana Medicaid has:

• Launched the Indiana PathWays for Aging program, a managed Long-Term Services and Supports (mLTSS) program and the state’s fourth managed Medicaid program.  Indiana PathWays for Aging provides coverage for 120,000 Hoosiers, 80% of whom are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
• Transitioned the former Aged and Disabled waiver into two new waivers, the Indiana PathWays for Aging waiver for individuals aged 60 and older to coordinate waiver services with health coverage under the managed care program, and the Health and Wellness waiver for individuals under age 60 to improve alignment with other waivers supporting individuals with disabilities.
• Submitted a five-year extension of the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI) 1115 waiver to ensure continued access to a comprehensive continuum of behavioral health services for Indiana Medicaid members.

“Leading Indiana Medicaid during this time has been a rewarding and challenging experience," said Steinmetz. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to meaningful progress while serving alongside a passionate and purpose-driven team.”

Steinmetz, a licensed attorney, has also worked as a program director for government programs and revenue cycle compliance for IU Health and was an attorney for the Indiana Department of Revenue and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. She is also a board member for Music for All, a national organization focused on music education. 

She is exploring options for future employment.

• Washington County
• Special Events
• Elections

Yesterday morning, December 26 at 10 a.m., the newly-elected officials of Washington County were sworn-in. Friends, family and community members alike packed Judge Larry Medlock’s courtroom at the Circuit Court to congratulate the new additions to our governmental body.

A total of 14 electees raised their right hands yesterday and swore an oath of office to uphold the duties and responsibilities of the positions in which they have been elected for the betterment of Washington County. Judge Medlock and Judge Dustin Houchin worked in tandem to swear-in the new officials, and Stephanie Rockey, who also was sworn-in for her second term as the Clerk of Courts, organized the ceremony.

Enjoy photos from the swearing-in ceremony below!

(Left to right) Hon. Houchin, Treasurer Coats and Clerk of Courts Rockey.

(Left to right) Hon. Medlock and Clerk of Courts Rockey.

Shawnda Keltner, County Coroner.

Emily Rodman, County Surveyor.

Tony Cardwell Jr., County Commissioner District 3.

Todd Armstrong, County Council At-Large.

Bradley Gilbert, County Council At-Large.

Jennifer Stahl, Campbellsburg Town Council.

Anthony Mosby, Pekin Town Council.

Allison Ezzell, Salem School Board.

Rebecca Humphrey, Salem School Board.

Ty Sweeney, Salem School Board.

Jamie Mosby, East Washington School Board.

Aaron Lee, East Washington School Board.

Crowd gathered to watch the ceremony.

Hon. Medlock and Rockey joined by the Clerk of Courts office staff.

Photos by Nathaniel Smith.

• Government
• State of Indiana

On December 23, Governor-elect Mike Braun announced 20 new appointments to lead various state agencies and departments as his administration prepares to take office in January 2025.

The appointments include:

Steve Russo, Executive Director of the Indiana Public Retirement System

Holly Lambert, Insurance Commissioner

Lindsay Hyer, Executive Director of the Professional Licensing Agency

Thomas Fite, Director of the Department of Financial Institutions

James Michaels, Superintendent of the Indiana School for the Blind

Dr. David Geeslin, Superintendent of the Indiana School for the Deaf

Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health

Steve Cox, Director of the Indiana Broadband Office

Dan Huge, Chairman of the Indiana Finance Authority

Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture

Lloyd Arnold, Commissioner of the Department of Corrections

Alan Morrison, Director of the Department of Natural Resources

Kevin Garvey, Commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles

Mitch Roob, Secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration

Jake Adams, Department of Veterans Affairs

Fred Glynn, Executive Director of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs

Brandon Clifton, Indiana Department of Administration Commissioner

Pete Miller, Executive Director of the Indiana Management Performance Hub

Kent Abernathy, Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner

Adam Krupp, Director of the Department of Child Services

These appointments are in addition to the previously announced cabinet members:

Secretary of Business Affairs, Mike Speedy, will also serve as the head of the Department of Labor

Secretary of Commerce, David Adams, will also serve as head of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation

Secretary of Education, Dr. Katie Jenner, will also serve as head of the Department of Education

Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources, Suzanne Jaworowski

Secretary of Health and Family Services, Dr. Gloria Sachdev

Secretary of Management and Budget, Lisa Hershman, will also serve as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Secretary of Public Safety, Jennifer-Ruth Green, will also serve as the Director of Homeland Security

Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure, Matthew Ubelhor

Superintendent of the Indiana State Police, Anthony Scott

Adjutant General of Indiana, Brigadier General Lawrence Muennich

Lieutenant General, Micah Beckwith

Chief of Staff, Joshua Kelley

The following senior staff positions have also been named:

Jason Johnson, Deputy Chief Of Staff, Legislative Affairs 

Jessica Wedgewood, Deputy Chief Of Staff, Operations 

Patrick Price, Governor’s Legal Counsel

• Government
• State of Indiana
• Federal

On Monday, December 23, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) released the following statement after President Joe Biden vetoed the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act of 2024, legislation introduced by Young to address judicial emergencies and shortages across the country:

“This misguided decision is just another example of why Americans are counting down the days until President Biden leaves the White House. Issuing this veto is partisan politics at its worst. The JUDGES Act is a fair bill with strong bipartisan support that would have created 66 judgeships over three presidential terms to address our judicial backlog,” said Senator Young. “The President is more enthusiastic about using his office to provide relief to his family members who received due process than he is about giving relief to the millions of regular Americans who are waiting years for their due process. Biden’s legacy will be ‘pardons for me, no justice for thee.’”

Background on the JUDGES Act of 2024:

The JUDGES Act of 2024 would address judicial emergencies and shortages across the country by increasing the number of federal district judges in the most overworked regions of the country, including the Southern District of Indiana. The bill passed Congress with strong bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The JUDGES Act of 2024 would act on the findings in the nonpartisan 2023 Judicial Conference of the United States report by creating the recommended judgeships during future presidential administrations. Additionally, the bipartisan bill includes new transparency requirements and provisions to ensure greater access to justice in certain high-need areas of the country.

Congress bears the constitutional responsibility of establishing judgeships in the district courts of the United States. However, the last comprehensive authorization of new judgeships occurred in 1990 when then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Biden sponsored legislation that created 85 new judgeships for President George H.W. Bush to fill. Since then, targeted legislation enacted between 1999 and 2003 created 34 additional district court judgeships. It has now been two decades since Congress last authorized new district judgeships.

Senator Young first introduced the legislation in 2020 and re-introduced it in 2021 and 2023. Young also penned an op-ed urging President Biden to sign the JUDGES Act of 2024 into law.