Requires certain nonprofit hospitals to hold an annual public forum for the purposes of: (1) obtaining feedback from the community about the nonprofit hospital's performance in the previous year; (2) discussing the pricing of health services provided at the nonprofit hospital; and (3) discussing the contributions made by the nonprofit hospital to the community. Requires a nonprofit hospital, at least 14 days before the public forum, to post on the nonprofit hospital's Internet web site: (1) a notice stating the date, time, location, and purposes of the public forum; and (2) information relating to the subjects to be discussed at the public forum. Allows the public forum to be held, either all or in part, through an interactive real time audio and video meeting that is accessible to the community through the Internet. Changes the date that ambulatory outpatient surgical centers are required to begin posting certain pricing information from March 31, 2021, to December 31, 2021. Specifies that the pricing information posted is the standard charge rather than the weighted average negotiated charge and sets forth what is included in the standard charge. Specifies that if an ambulatory outpatient surgical center offers less than 30 additional services, the center is required to post all of the services the center provides. Requires a hospital to post pricing information in compliance with the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as in effect on January 1, 2021, if: (1) the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule is repealed; or (2) federal enforcement of the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule is stopped. Requires a health carrier to hold an annual public forum. Specifies information to be discussed at the health carrier public forum and information to be disclosed before the forum. Makes conforming changes.
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Allows a person admitted as a patient to a hospital or ambulatory outpatient surgical center (facility) to receive visitation by specified individuals during a declared emergency or public health emergency. Requires visitors to comply with applicable disease control or prevention guidelines issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when visiting a patient. Requires a facility to permit the visitation of a person admitted as a patient in a facility during specified compassionate care scenarios. Allows a facility to limit visitation in certain instances. Provides certain civil immunity for a facility, its employees, and contractors for an injury or harm caused by or resulting from: (1) the exposure of a contagious disease or other harmful agent that is specified during a disaster emergency; or (2) acts or omissions by visitors who are present in the facility; as a result of the implementation of the required protocols. Requires health facilities and residential care facilities (health facilities) to allow visitation of a resident in a compassionate care situation. Requires the state department of health to adopt standards and guidelines concerning the essential family caregiver program during a declared emergency or public health emergency and requires facilities to participate in the program. Allows for the designation of an essential family caregiver for a resident of a health facility and allows for visitation during restricted visitation at the health facility. Specifies requirements for an individual to be designated as an essential family caregiver and allows for the reconsideration and reporting of a denial of a request for designation. Allows the state department of health to adopt certain rules concerning the program. Provides certain civil immunity for a health facility, its employees, and contractors for an injury or harm caused by or resulting from: (1) the exposure of a contagious disease or other harmful agent that is specified during a disaster emergency; or (2) acts or omissions by visitors who are present in the health facility; as a result of the implementation of the required protocols.
Establishes the Indiana broadband connectivity program (program) for the purpose of expanding availability of broadband Internet connectivity throughout Indiana. Provides that as part of the program, the office must establish a public broadband portal through which an individual may report that minimum broadband Internet (defined as a connection to the Internet at an actual speed of at least 25 megabits per second downstream and at least three megabits per second upstream) is unavailable at the individual's residential or business address. Provides that a broadband Internet provider may: (1) register with the program; (2) receive, at least every three months, listings of addresses submitted to the office as addresses at which minimum broadband Internet is unavailable; (3) report to the office any listed address at which the provider's minimum broadband Internet service is already available; and (4) bid for an award of a grant for purposes of extending connectivity to broadband Internet service (defined as a connection to the Internet at an actual speed of at least 50 megabits per second downstream and at least five megabits per second upstream) to an address at which minimum broadband Internet is unavailable. Provides that in evaluating any bids received under the program, the office shall select the provider whose bid presents the lowest cost to the state. Provides that a grant awarded to a provider under the program may not exceed the following: (1) A per-line extension amount that exceeds $25,000, regardless of the number of addresses served by the line extension. (2) A per-passing amount that exceeds the state's cost per passing for all rural broadband grants awarded from the fund as of the last day of the immediately preceding state fiscal year. Requires the office to provide to the general assembly an annual report containing specified data regarding the program. Provides that the office may maintain a geographic information system (GIS) or similar data base that contains spatial data regarding the availability of broadband Internet service in Indiana. Provides that the office may evaluate the broadband Internet coverage map created by the Federal Communications Commission under the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act (FCC map) and: (1) if the office finds that the FCC map: (A) provides address level broadband Internet coverage information; or (B) provides a greater level of detail than the office's broadband Internet coverage map; use the FCC map to update the office's broadband Internet coverage map; or (2) if the office finds that the FCC map does not: (A) provide address level broadband Internet coverage information; or (B) provide a greater level of detail than the office's broadband Internet coverage map; report that finding to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications during the 2022 legislative interim.
Revises the definition of "practitioner" in the laws concerning good faith estimates of costs for health care services. Postpones, from July 1, 2021, to January 1, 2022, the effective date of the requirement that a practitioner provide a good faith estimate of the amount the practitioner intends to charge for a health care service. Requires that the communication by a provider facility and a practitioner to a patient about the patient's right to request a good faith estimate be conspicuous and be provided by at least three of eight specified potential means. Provides that the written notice that a practitioner provides to an individual about a scheduled or ordered nonemergency health care service must state that a good faith estimate of cost need not be provided if the service is scheduled to be performed within five business days of the date of the patient's request. Provides that certain written statements must be in "conspicuous" type instead of in type at least as large as 14 point type. Requires a practitioner or facility to provide a written explanation if the charge for a health care service exceeds the practitioner's or facility's good faith estimate by the greater of: (1) $100; or (2) 5%. Revises the content of the written statement that an out of network practitioner providing health care services at an in network facility must give to a covered individual in order to be reimbursed more for the health care services than allowed according to the rate established by the covered individual's network plan. Provides that a practitioner can comply with the requirement to provide a good faith estimate of the amount that the practitioner intends to charge a covered individual by complying with the requirements of the new federal No Surprises Act (Act). Provides that a health carrier may satisfy certain requirements concerning good faith estimates by complying with the Act.
Allows a food hall that: (1) is located in a certified technology park; and (2) is not located in a historic district or historic building; to be eligible for a food hall master permit. Provides that a project that: (1) borders a lake that is at least 750 acres; and (2) is within a municipality; is eligible for a municipal riverfront development project retailer's permit. Allows a person who holds: (1) a restaurant permit in an economic development area; and (2) an interest in a brewery, farm winery, or artisan distillery (production facility) located on or adjacent to the restaurant; to sell alcoholic beverages manufactured at the production facility for carryout in the restaurant's general merchandising area and from a self-serving display. Provides that a minor may: (1) be in the restaurant's general merchandising area; and (2) participate in a nondrinking tour of the production facility, if the minor is accompanied by an adult family member.
Defines "mental health diagnosis" and sets forth requirements that must be met in order for certain licensed professionals to provide a mental health diagnosis. Requires certain mental health professionals who are making a mental health diagnosis and who determine that the patient may have a physical condition that requires medical attention or has not been examined by a physician, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a physician assistant in the preceding 12 months to: (1) advise the patient to schedule, and offer to assist the patient with scheduling, a physical examination for the patient; (2) provide the patient with a list of practitioners and certain information concerning the practitioners; and (3) coordinate patient care with the practitioner as appropriate. Requires documentation of the actions of the licensed professional in the patient's medical record.
Removes the requirements that: (1) an oil refinery be located within a municipal lakefront development project; and (2) a municipal lakefront development project must be funded in part with local, state, and federal money. Requires the alcohol and tobacco commission (commission) to provide notice to the city or town council and the mayor's office of the city or town in which a municipal lakefront development is located of certain hearings. Requires the commission to post signs indicating when and where certain hearings will take place.
Establishes the behavior analyst committee (committee) with oversight by the medical licensing board of Indiana (board). Requires the committee to recommend proposed rules to the board concerning the practice of behavior analysis and continuing education requirements for behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts. Requires the board to establish fees upon consideration of recommendations from the committee. Provides for the licensing of behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts. Requires a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst to comply with a professional code published by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. Makes it a Class A misdemeanor for an unlicensed individual to profess to be a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst, but provides that certain types of individuals may use applied behavior analysis techniques without being licensed.
Provides that the state department of health (department) may officially be known as the Indiana department of health. Removes by July 1, 2022, appeals panels from the appeals process of department orders. Provides that the executive board or the department's designee may act as the ultimate authority for department matters under the administrative and procedures laws. Provides that the state health commissioner (commissioner) is the appointing authority and director of the department. Provides that any physicians employed by the department are governed by the state ethics commission's conflict of interest requirements. Allows the commissioner to designate in writing employees in the department who are licensed as a physician and may engage in the practice of medicine outside of their official duties. Provides that the state is not liable for any act performed by a physician employed by the department for any medical care provided to a patient by the physician that is provided in an individual capacity as a licensed physician. Removes the executive board of the department from determining the commissioner's salary. Provides that the commissioner's salary is determined by the governor and the state budget agency. Removes the executive board's approval for the commissioner to organize the personnel and functions of the department into divisions and subdivisions. Specifies that the state department of health may release certain information to an Indiana nonprofit entity that performs health data services for health care providers if specified conditions are met. Extends the expiration of the syringe exchange program until July 1, 2026.
Specifies the reimbursement rate for inpatient and outpatient Medicaid services that are provided by an out-of-state children's hospital located in a state bordering Indiana in state fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Requires budget committee review of the reimbursements provided to those out-of-state children's hospital. Requires the children's hospitals to provide information required in the review to the family and social services administration not later than August 1.