Healthcare

Establishes a presumption that the continuation of life is in a minor's best interests. Requires a health care provider to obtain the consent of each parent or each legal guardian before issuing a do not resuscitate order or otherwise withholding or withdrawing treatment to allow the natural death of a minor. Prohibits a health care provider from interfering with the transfer of a minor patient at the request of a parent or guardian or otherwise preventing life saving measures before or during the transfer. States that a court does not have jurisdiction to withdraw life sustaining treatment for a minor.

Provides that an insurer: (1) must pay a health care provider the full amount due for health care services under the health care provider's agreement with the insurer, including any cost sharing; (2) has the sole responsibility for collecting cost sharing from a covered individual; and (3) upon request of the covered individual, must collect cost sharing throughout the policy year in increments defined by the insurer. Prohibits an insurer from taking certain actions regarding the collection of cost sharing. Requires each insurer to certify to the insurance commissioner, before December 31 of each year, that the insurer has fully and completely complied with the requirements during the previous calendar year.

Permits a school corporation to establish a youth peer support program (program). Requires a program to: (1) be developed in consultation with one or more local mental health organizations serving the school's geographic area; (2) utilize evidence based training models approved by the department of education; (3) include written referral protocols to school based and community based mental health services; (4) provide ongoing supervision by a school counselor, school social worker, licensed mental health professional, or qualified community partner; and (5) include safeguards to protect student confidentiality and well-being. Provides that a program may not: (1) provide clinical diagnosis or treatment; (2) be established to replace school counselors or mental health professionals; or (3) require participation by a student. Requires a school corporation to provide certain students voluntary, online mental health screenings. Establishes parameters for certain partnerships between school corporations and local mental health organizations participating in the school corporation's program. Creates the youth peer support advisory committee.

Requires the secretary of family and social services to certify integrated reentry and correctional support programs. Requires the owner of a recovery residence to register with the division of mental health and addiction (division). Sets forth the requirements for registration. Requires the division to post a list of registered recovery residences on the division's public website and include certain information concerning each recovery residence. Requires the division to adopt rules concerning: (1) the issuance, revocation, and denial of a registration; and (2) any rules necessary to implement these provisions. Allows the division to contract with certain entities to administer the registration of recovery residences.

Prohibits an Indiana governmental entity from making a payment from any fund under its control for the costs associated with procuring an abortion, including travel expenses, unless the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman. Specifies that the prohibition does not apply to a payment made by an Indiana governmental entity to provide group health insurance for employees of the Indiana governmental entity.

Requires a county to offer a program of group insurance to each county elected official if the county offers the program of group insurance to county employees and at least one county elected official.

Requires a policy of accident and sickness insurance and a health maintenance organization to provide coverage for medically necessary acquired brain injury treatment provided to certain individuals.

Requires, beginning January 1, 2028, a health carrier to: (1) implement a shopping and decision support program; and (2) provide incentives for covered individuals in a health plan who elect to receive a comparable health care service from a network provider that is paid less than the average allowed amount paid by the health carrier to network providers for the comparable health care service. Requires, beginning December 1, 2027, a health carrier to make available an interactive member portal that enables a covered individual to request and obtain certain information. Allows a health carrier to make the information available through a toll free telephone number. Sets forth reporting requirements for health carriers and the department of insurance concerning incentive payments made to covered individuals.

Amends the definition of "ambulatory outpatient surgical center" to remove the requirement that a surgical procedure is permitted to be performed only by a physician, dentist, or podiatrist who has certain hospital privileges. Prohibits a hospital, debt collector, or other third party from pursuing medical debt collection if the hospital is noncompliant with specified statutes. Requires the Indiana department of health (state department) to determine on a semiannual basis whether a hospital is in compliance with the statutes and notify a hospital concerning the state department's compliance determination. Authorizes the attorney general to suspend the authority of a hospital to pursue medical debt collection when the state department has made a final determination that the hospital is noncompliant. Creates an affirmative defense for a debtor if the collection attempt occurred while the hospital was noncompliant. Requires a hospital to provide the state department with 60 days written notice if the hospital plans to: (1) close and permanently terminate all hospital operations; or (2) completely eliminate a service line for longer than 90 days. Allows for a waiver of the notification requirements in specified circumstances.

Modifies the definitions of "abortion" and "abortion inducing drug". Amends the information required to be reported to the Indiana department of health (state department) concerning an abortion complication. Requires the state department to send each abortion complication report to the office of the inspector general. Provides that a person who manufactures, distributes, mails, transports, delivers, prescribes, or provides an abortion inducing drug is jointly and severally liable for: (1) the wrongful death of an unborn child or pregnant woman from the use of an abortion inducing drug; and (2) personal injury of an unborn child or pregnant woman from the use of the abortion inducing drug. Allows the mother or father of an unborn child to bring a wrongful death action for the wrongful death of the unborn child from the use of abortion inducing drugs. Provides affirmative defenses. Allows for qui tam actions against certain persons. Adds an exception for the prohibition on abortion inducing drugs.