SB 85 IN

0likes☆Favorite🔕SubscribeShare

Passed One Chamber

Authorizes the attorney general to enforce provisions concerning health care debt wage garnishment and principal residence lien restrictions and establish a complaint process. Requires hospitals to do the following: (1) Offer a person who meets certain income guidelines and has received health services the opportunity to pay the charges through a payment plan that satisfies certain requirements. (2) Develop a written notice about a charity care program operated by the hospital, provide the notice to patients, and post the notice. (3) Include certain information concerning financial assistance on a billing statement. (4) Requires a hospital that reports an annual gross patient revenue of at least $20,000,000 to provide written notice and information to a person who has requested an eligibility determination concerning a payment plan or charity care. Provides that the unpaid earnings of a consumer who meets specified income eligibility requirements may not be attached by garnishment if an individual makes 200% of the federal income poverty level or less, and limits the amount to be garnished over a certain amount of the individual's disposable earnings in satisfaction of: (1) health care debt owed or alleged to be owed by the consumer; or (2) any amount of the judgment that represents health care debt determined to be owed by the consumer. Provides that: (1) health care debt owed or alleged to be owed by a consumer; or (2) in an action against a consumer in which a judgment has been entered, the amount of the judgment that represents health care debt determined to be owed by the consumer; does not constitute a lien against the consumer's principal residence for a consumer. Requires the disclosure of whether a debt is a health care debt in the execution of a judgment. Provides that in any action filed in Indiana for the recovery of health care debt owed or alleged to be owed by a consumer, the principal residence of the consumer is not liable to judgment or attachment or to be sold on execution against the consumer.

• Ed Charbonneau Republican · author
• Fady Qaddoura Democratic · author
• Julie McGuire Republican · sponsor

1. Dec 8, 2025 First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services · upper
2. Dec 8, 2025 Authored by Senators Qaddoura, Charbonneau · upper
3. Dec 9, 2025 Senator Qaddoura removed as author · upper
4. Dec 9, 2025 Senator Charbonneau added as author · upper
5. Dec 9, 2025 Senator Qaddoura added as second author · upper
6. Dec 9, 2025 Senator Charbonneau removed as second author · upper
7. Jan 8, 2026 Senator Becker added as coauthor · upper
8. Jan 8, 2026 Senator Yoder added as coauthor · upper
9. Jan 22, 2026 Senator Deery added as coauthor · upper
10. Jan 22, 2026 Committee report: amend do pass, adopted · upper
11. Jan 28, 2026 Senator Randolph added as coauthor · upper
12. Jan 28, 2026 Second reading: ordered engrossed · upper
13. Jan 29, 2026 Representative Barrett added as cosponsor · lower
14. Jan 29, 2026 Representative Smaltz added as cosponsor · lower
15. Jan 29, 2026 House sponsor: Representative McGuire · upper
16. Jan 29, 2026 Cosponsor: Representative Goss-Reaves · upper
17. Jan 29, 2026 Senators Alting, Doriot added as coauthors · upper
18. Jan 29, 2026 Senator Ford J.D. added as coauthor · upper
19. Jan 29, 2026 Senator Goode added as coauthor · upper
20. Jan 29, 2026 Senator Jackson L added as coauthor · upper
21. Jan 29, 2026 Senator Spencer added as coauthor · upper
22. Jan 29, 2026 Senator Taylor G added as coauthor · upper
23. Jan 29, 2026 Senators Walker G, Walker K, Bohacek added as coauthors · upper
24. Jan 29, 2026 Third reading: passed; Roll Call 135: yeas 33, nays 15 · upper
25. Jan 29, 2026 Referred to the House · upper
26. Feb 2, 2026 First reading: referred to Committee on Public Health · lower