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SB0085Introduced in the Senate

Health care debt and costs.

EngrossedHouse Public Health

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

Bill history

  1. Authored by Senators Qaddoura, Charbonneau

  2. First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services

  3. Senator Charbonneau removed as second author

  4. Senator Qaddoura removed as author

  5. Senator Charbonneau added as author

  6. Senator Qaddoura added as second author

  7. Senator Becker added as coauthor

  8. Senator Yoder added as coauthor

  9. Committee report: amend do pass, adopted

  10. Senator Deery added as coauthor

  11. Second reading: ordered engrossed

  12. Senator Randolph added as coauthor

  13. Third reading: passed; Roll Call 135: yeas 33, nays 15

  14. House sponsor: Representative McGuire

  15. Cosponsor: Representative Goss-Reaves

  16. Senators Alting, Doriot added as coauthors

  17. Senator Goode added as coauthor

  18. Senator Ford J.D. added as coauthor

  19. Senator Spencer added as coauthor

  20. Senator Jackson L added as coauthor

  21. Senators Walker G, Walker K, Bohacek added as coauthors

  22. Senator Taylor G added as coauthor

  23. Referred to the House

  24. Representative Barrett added as cosponsor

  25. Representative Smaltz added as cosponsor

  26. First reading: referred to Committee on Public Health

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