Five questions for Beth Lock, CEO/executive director, Indiana Business Health Collaborative

July 6, 2026 - 05:10

Beth Lock, CEO and executive director of the Indiana Business Health Collaborative, sat down to discuss the group's mission and why it matters for workers and employers across the state.

For readers unfamiliar with the organization, Lock explained that the Indiana Business Health Collaborative, or IBHC, is focused on a specific problem: the rising cost of healthcare and the uneven quality of care that many Hoosiers experience. The group brings together large employers, insurers, and healthcare providers to push for better value. The idea is that when businesses collaborate, they can demand more transparency in pricing and better health outcomes for their employees. Lock says this matters because healthcare costs eat into wages and business growth. If a worker's insurance premium goes up every year, that is less money for raises or hiring. For employers, especially small and mid-sized ones, runaway health costs can be the difference between staying open or shutting down.

Lock emphasized that the collaborative is not about cutting benefits. It is about making sure every dollar spent on healthcare actually improves a person's health. She pointed to data showing that Indiana often ranks poorly on health metrics despite spending heavily on care. The goal is to shift the system toward paying for results, not just volume of services. For a Hoosier worker, that could mean fewer surprise bills and better access to effective treatments. For an employer, it means a healthier workforce and more predictable costs.