FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - A new bill proposed in the Indiana House of Representatives aims to reduce healthcare costs in the state.

Representative Martin Carbaugh (R- Fort Wayne) authored the bill alongside Rep. McGuire and Rep. Smaltz.

HB 1040 targets Indiana’s 5 big non-profit hospitals, by forcing them to either cut prices down to the national average or lose their status as non-profit health providers plus the benefits that come with them.

The proposed cuts for each institution are as follows:
Ascension St. Vincent: Reduce prices by 40.5%
Community Health Network: Reduce prices by 34%
Deaconess Health System: Reduce prices by 23%
Franciscan Health: Reduce prices by 30%
IU Health: Reduce prices by 40.6%
Parkview Health: Reduce prices by 40.8%

Devin Anderson with the Hoosiers for Affordable Healthcare organization has been a proponent of this bill for years. “It’s the most meaningful piece of legislation that Indiana’s had in this regard, attempting to address high hospital prices,” Anderson said.

He believes House Bill 1040 has a very strong chance of passing in the upcoming legislative session. “This is a leadership bill (...) That means the House leadership has endorsed it, so it’s a priority bill, and that is a meaningful difference in this case.” Anderson said.

When asked if he expects to see pushback from these health providers, “One thousand percent. You don’t ask organizations to give up hundreds of millions to billions of dollars of profit, without a fight,” he answered.

New proposed bill to drop Indiana healthcare costs by as much as 40%

A new bill proposed in the Indiana House of Representatives aims to reduce healthcare costs in the state by targeting the state's 5 largest non-profit hospitals. The bill would force these hospitals to either reduce prices to the national average or lose their non-profit status and associated benefits. The proposed cuts range from 40.5% for Ascension St. Vincent to 40.8% for Parkview Health.