(Statehouse) – Help could be on the way for Hoosiers dealing with medical debt.
The Senate Health and Services Provider Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 317 after several major rewrites.
If passed and signed into law, Senate Bill 317 would require all Indiana hospitals to give patients information about charitable assistance and payment plans.
The bill stipulates a plan must allow payments to be made over a period of least two years.
A monthly payment may not exceed 10 percent of the person’s monthly income.
The legislation protects wages from being garnished, and prevents liens from being placed on homes due to medical debt but only for Hoosiers who make less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level.
The bill is expected to be passed early next week.
(Story by WRBI reporter Bill Remeika)
