Adds to the Indiana Code a new chapter that requires hospitals to do the following: (1) For any charges for health care services provided to a person after June 30, 2025, offer the person the opportunity to pay the charges through a payment plan that satisfies certain requirements. (2) Develop a written notice about any charity care program operated by the hospital, provide the notice to patients at the point of service, and conspicuously post the notice in specified areas. (3) Requires a hospital that reports an annual gross patient revenue of at least $20,000,000 to do the following: (A) Before billing a person for any emergency or medically necessary health care services provided to the person, offer to determine whether a person is eligible for any charity care program operated by the hospital. (B) If the hospital determines that person is eligible for the hospital's charity care program, offer to enroll the person in the program. (4) Prohibits a hospital that reports an annual gross patient revenue of at least $20,000,000 from billing a person for any emergency or medically necessary health care services that the hospital has provided to the person unless the hospital first communicates to the person a good faith estimate of the person's out-of-pocket costs for the services. Provides that the unpaid earnings of a consumer who resides in Indiana may not be attached by garnishment in satisfaction of: (1) any amount of health care debt owed or alleged to be owed by the consumer; or (2) in an action against the consumer in which a judgment has been entered, any amount of the judgment that represents health care debt determined to be owed by the consumer. Prohibits: (1) a health care provider; or (2) a third party furnisher of consumer information; from reporting or furnishing to a consumer reporting agency any information related to the health care debt of an eligible consumer (defined as a consumer who has a household income of not more than 500% of the federal poverty level). Provides that if information related to health care debt of an eligible consumer is reported to a consumer reporting agency in violation of these provisions: (1) the eligible consumer is relieved from any liability to pay the amount reported; and (2) the health care provider and any third party furnisher engaged by the health care provider may not collect or attempt to collect the amount reported. Requires a consumer reporting agency, upon request from an eligible consumer, to delete any record of health care debt that is maintained in the eligible consumer's file and reported or furnished in violation of these provisions. Prohibits a health care provider from: (1) charging or collecting interest on the unpaid balances of health care debt at an annual rate that exceeds 3%; or (2) initiating any delinquent account action with respect to health care debt during the pendency of an appeal by the consumer for the denial of insurance or other third party coverage. Provides that a person that violates these provisions commits a deceptive act that is actionable only by the attorney general under the Indiana statute concerning deceptive consumer sales. Amends the statute concerning adverse claims against deposit accounts to prohibit a depository financial institution that receives notice of an adverse claim based on health care debt owed or alleged to be owed by a consumer from: (1) recognizing the adverse claim in any manner; or (2) placing a hold on, or otherwise restricting withdrawal of funds from, a deposit account in which the consumer has an interest. Provides that: (1) any amount of 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, any 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 or against certain personal property of the consumer. 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 court does not have and shall not entertain jurisdiction in any: (1) action of attachment against the real or personal property of the consumer; or (2) action of garnishment. 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.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Senate Bill (S): 16-21-9-7