# Indiana SB 85: Health care debt and costs.

Indiana SB 85, Health care debt and costs., is a Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026) Senate bill sponsored by Ed Charbonneau (Republican); status failed, last action 2026-02-02 (First reading: referred to Committee on Public Health); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB85-2026
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Indiana SB 85
- State: Indiana
- Session: Second Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2026)
- Title: Health care debt and costs.
- Status: failed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-12-08
- Last action: 2026-02-02, First reading: referred to Committee on Public Health
- Sponsor: Ed Charbonneau (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 19
- Subjects: health and provider services, the house, public health
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 1 (33 yes, 15 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

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.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ed Charbonneau (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Ben Smaltz (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Blake Doriot (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Brad Barrett (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Fady Qaddoura (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Greg Goode (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Greg Taylor (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Greg Walker (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: J.D. Ford (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Julie McGuire (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Kyle Walker (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: La Keisha Jackson (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lonnie Randolph (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Lori Goss-Reaves (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mark Spencer (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mike Bohacek (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Ron Alting (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Shelli Yoder (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Spencer Deery (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Vaneta Becker (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-01-29 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 33 | 15 |   |

## Bill text

- Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0085/versions/SB0085.01.INTR?format=pdf)
- Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0085/versions/SB0085.02.COMS?format=pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 80: Code publication. (signed)
- HB 1424: Farm and homestead food sales. (signed)
- HB 1406: Tax and fiscal matters. (signed)
- HB 1266: Department of education and education matters. (signed)
- HB 1277: Health and human services matters. (signed)
- HB 1210: Department of local government finance. (signed)

## Sources
- [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0085/versions/SB0085.01.INTR?format=pdf)
- [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2026/bills/SB0085/versions/SB0085.02.COMS?format=pdf)

## Related
- [SB 80: Code publication.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB80-2026)
- [HB 1424: Farm and homestead food sales.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1424-2026)
- [HB 1406: Tax and fiscal matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1406-2026)
- [HB 1266: Department of education and education matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1266-2026)
- [HB 1277: Health and human services matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1277-2026)
- [HB 1210: Department of local government finance.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-HB1210-2026)
- [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills)
- [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB85-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).