SB0085Introduced in the Senate
Health care debt and costs.
Introduced by Ed Charbonneau, District 5
What does this bill do?
Plain-English breakdown
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Official description
Health care debt and costs. 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.
Where it stands
First reading: referred to Committee on Public Health
February 2, 2026
How did lawmakers vote?
SenateStage: Senate - Third reading · January 29, 2026
33
Yes
15
No
1
Absent or Not Voting
49 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.
See how each senator voted
| Senator | District | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Dan Dernulc | 1 | Yes |
| Lonnie Randolph | 2 | Yes |
| Mark Spencer | 3 | Yes |
| Rodney Pol | 4 | Yes |
| Ed Charbonneau | 5 | Yes |
| Rick Niemeyer | 6 | Yes |
| Brian Buchanan | 7 | No |
| Mike Bohacek | 8 | Yes |
| Ryan Mishler | 9 | Yes |
| David Niezgodski | 10 | Yes |
Bill history
Authored by Senators Qaddoura, Charbonneau
First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services
Senator Charbonneau removed as second author
Senator Qaddoura removed as author
Senator Charbonneau added as author
Senator Qaddoura added as second author
Senator Becker added as coauthor
Senator Yoder added as coauthor
Committee report: amend do pass, adopted
Senator Deery added as coauthor
Second reading: ordered engrossed
Senator Randolph added as coauthor
Third reading: passed; Roll Call 135: yeas 33, nays 15
House sponsor: Representative McGuire
Cosponsor: Representative Goss-Reaves
Senators Alting, Doriot added as coauthors
Senator Goode added as coauthor
Senator Ford J.D. added as coauthor
Senator Spencer added as coauthor
Senator Jackson L added as coauthor
Senators Walker G, Walker K, Bohacek added as coauthors
Senator Taylor G added as coauthor
Referred to the House
Representative Barrett added as cosponsor
Representative Smaltz added as cosponsor
First reading: referred to Committee on Public Health
Verify the information
- Official page on the Indiana Legislature website
- Senate Health and Provider Services Amendment #9 (amendment)
- Senate Health and Provider Services Amendment #8 (amendment)
- Senate Amendment #1 (amendment)
- Fiscal Note (supplement)
- Vote Sheet (supplement)
- Committee Report (supplement)
- Fiscal Note (supplement)
- Fiscal Note (supplement)
- Fiscal Note (supplement)
- Introduced (text)
- Comm Sub (text)
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