Statehouse Success for Older Hoosiers

The 2025 session of the Indiana General Assembly concluded on April 25th. AARP Indiana was there at the Statehouse working to help empower older Hoosiers to choose how they live as they age.

Below are brief descriptions of the main bills AARP Indiana worked on this year and how they ended up.

SEA 1 - Local Government Finance
Authors: Sen. Travis Holdman, Sen. Chris Garten, Sen. Scott Baldwin
Co-Authors: Sen. Mike Gaskill, Sen. Linda Rogers, Sen. Brian Buchanan, Sen. Tyler Johnson
Sponsors: Rep. Jeffrey Thompson, Rep. Edward Clere, Rep. Craig Snow, Rep. Jack Jordan

Property taxes are critical to the well-being of our communities. But for too many Hoosiers, rising property taxes are threatening their ability to stay in their homes as they age.

Beginning next year, SEA 1 creates a new property tax credit of 10 percent of a homeowner's bill, up to $300. It also provides additional credits for older Hoosiers. It also makes an adjustment to the business personal property tax, which is a tax on equipment, starting with the 2026 assessment.

SEA 1 also contains language from SB 6 that allows counties to establish a program for qualified individuals to defer $100-$500 of their property tax liability annually, up to a total of $10,000. The taxes would be paid back with interest when the home is sold or the estate is settled. A deferral program offers a balanced approach to the challenge of funding vital community services while providing tax relief to those who need it most. (This was the only portion of SEA 1 that AARP Indiana had a position on.)

Targeted property tax relief (such as the included deferral option) can help older residents stay in their homes as they age, preserving housing affordability and stability.

Final Senate Vote: 27-22
Final House Vote: 65-29
Signed By the Governor: 4/15/25

SEA 2 – Medicaid Matters
Authors: Sen. Ryan Mishler, Sen. Chris Garten, Sen. Ed Charbonneau
Co-Authors:  Sen. Mike Gaskill, Sen. Jeff Raatz, Sen. Linda Rogers, Sen. Tyler Johnson, Sen. Michael Young
Sponsors: Rep. Brad Barrett, Rep. Jeffrey Thompson, Rep. Martin Carbaugh

SEA 2 is an effort by state leaders to overhaul aspects of Indiana's Medicaid expansion, the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP 2.0). HIP 2.0 covers working-age Hoosiers with low-to-moderate incomes and has been in place — in some form or another — since former Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration.

The bill mandates that the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) Secretary restrict enrollment according to the number of individuals that can be supported by the available funding sources. The FSSA Secretary must ensure that "financial participation" does not surpass state appropriations or other funding. 

Under SEA 2, enrollees of HIP 2.0 would be required to either work or volunteer for 20 hours a week or risk losing their benefits. The proposal includes several exemptions, including one that was advocated for by AARP Indiana.

That exemption would be for a parent, spouse, or caretaker who is personally providing care for an individual with a serious medical condition or a disability. This is an important win for Hoosier family caregivers.

The work requirements must get the stamp of approval from the federal government before being enacted.

An estimated 790,000 Hoosiers are unpaid family caregivers providing 740 million hours of care each year. By exempting family caregivers more Hoosiers will be able to keep their loved ones in their homes and communities for longer.

Final Senate Vote: 37-10
Final House Vote: 66-28
Signed By the Governor: 5/1/25

SEA 4 – Water Matters
Authors: Sen. Eric Koch, Sen. Chris Garten, Sen. Susan Glick
Co-Authors: Sen. J.D. Ford, Sen. Andrea Hunley, Sen. Ron Alting, Sen. Ed Charbonneau, Sen. Greg Goode, Sen. Blake Doriot, Sen. Vaneta Becker, Sen. Mike Bohacek, Sen. Dan Dernulc, Sen. Stacey Donato, Sen. Mike Gaskill, Sen. Linda Rogers, Sen. Travis Holdman, Sen. James Tomes, Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, Sen. Eric Bassler, Sen. Daryl Schmitt, Sen. Brian Buchanan
Sponsors: Rep. Edmond Soliday, Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, Rep. Dave Hall

The legislation requires approval by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) for any water utility that wants to build a pipeline to deliver 30 million gallons of water at least 30 miles from the source of the water and will require approval by any water utility or large water consumer to transfer water from one basin to another.

This bill is a helpful solution to the regulation of the transportation and use of large amounts of water and will help prevent adverse rate and water availability issues.

Final Senate Vote: 45-2
Final House Vote: 93-0
Signed By the Governor: 4/22/25
AARP Indiana Position: Support

SEA 142 – Eviction Issues
Authors: Sen. Liz Brown, Sen. Greg Taylor, Sen. Mike Bohacek
Co-Authors: Sen. Lonnie Randolph, Sen. David Niezgodski, Sen. Shelli Yoder, Sen. J.D. Ford, Sen. Mark Spencer, Sen. Fady Qaddoura, Sen. La Keisha Jackson, Sen. Rodney Pol
Sponsors: Rep. Alex Zimmerman, Rep. Cherrish Pryor

SEA 142 aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Indiana's current eviction sealing program, which upon request of the tenant, seals records when the tenant wins the case or when both parties reach an agreement. Since its inception in 2022, the program has successfully sealed over 30,000 eviction cases. SEA 142 will require that qualifying eviction cases be sealed during court hearings, thereby reducing the likelihood of a prior eviction impacting tenants' housing stability. Approximately 9% of Hoosier renters face eviction filings each year.

According to AARP/Statista analysis of Census Bureau data, an estimated 347,458 older adults aged 55-plus are expected to be evicted in 2025 in the country. According to the same data, an estimated 7,911 older adults aged 55-plus are expected to be evicted in 2025 in the State of Indiana. The counties most impacted include:

• Marion County - 2021
• Lake County - 884
• Allen County - 529

Eviction records can force people to live in unsafe housing and cause homelessness, along with a host of other collateral consequences.

Final Senate Vote: 35-1
Final House Vote: 85-5
Signed By the Governor: 5/1/25
AARP Indiana Position: Support

SB 317 – Health Care Debt and Costs
Authors: Sen. Fady Qaddoura, Sen. Ed Charbonneau
Co-Authors: Sen. Shelli Yoder, Sen. J.D. Ford, Sen. La Keisha Jackson, Sen. Vaneta Becker, Sen. Spencer Deery, Sen. Lonnie Randolph

Although medical debt is a problem for people of all ages, adults aged 50 and older are particularly affected, as they are more likely to need expensive medical treatments. More than 44% of people age 50 to 64, and 22% of people age 65 and older, carry medical debt.

The bill would have limited the amount a hospital payment plan could demand from a patient including:

• Monthly payments could not exceed 10% of the patient's household income.
• Payments had to be spread over a period of 24 months.

The legislation also mandated hospitals to provide clear information about financial assistance to patients including:

• Hospital billing statements had to include financial assistance details.
• Specific timelines were set for hospitals to respond to patients' requests for charity care eligibility.

Unfortunately, the bill did not advance in the Senate.

Medical debt is unique due to its unpredictable nature, which is outside the control of the consumer and exacerbated by medical billing errors and the complexities of insurance coverage and reimbursement. Older Hoosiers frequently find themselves subject to aggressive and deceptive medical debt-collection strategies that take an emotional toll. As a result, medical debt negatively affects vulnerable populations and older Americans who have difficulty recovering financially. Worse, even the threat of medical debt and its subsequent impacts may cause older adults not to seek medical care, negatively impacting their physical health.

Final Senate Vote: 23-26 (Defeated)
Final House Vote: N/A
AARP Indiana Position: Support
Bill Did Not Advance

SEA 422 – Advanced Transmission Technology
Authors: Sen. Eric Koch, Sen. Gary Byrne, Sen. Jean Leising
Co-Authors: Sen. Daryl Schmitt
Sponsors: Rep. Edmond Soliday, Rep. Matt Pierce, Rep. Jim Pressel

The bill requires that utilities incorporate advanced transmission technologies into their long-term plans to improve efficiency and reduce congestion in transmission lines.

Examples of these technologies include dynamic line rating, advanced power flow controllers, and advanced conductors. Additionally, the IURC must complete a comprehensive study to evaluate the deployment of these technologies.

Older Hoosiers are already struggling to afford their utility bills on top of other high costs, such as food and medicine. This bill seeks to address the growing demand for electricity while ensuring that utilities can provide reliable and affordable service to customers.

Final Senate Vote: 49-0
Final House Vote: 96-0
Signed By the Governor: 3/31/25
AARP Indiana Position: Support

SB 513 – State Administered Retirement Program
Authors: Sen. Vaneta Becker, Sen. Greg Walker, Sen. Ron Alting
Co-Authors: Sen. Fady Qaddoura, Sen. Andrea Hunley, Sen. La Keisha Jackson,
Sen. Rodney Pol, Sen. J.D. Ford, Sen. Jean Leising, Sen. Susan Glick, Sen. David Niezgodski, Sen. Lonnie Randolph

SB 513 would have established the Hoosier Crossroads Retirement Program, creating public-private retirement savings accounts to help workers who otherwise do not have access to employer-sponsored retirement. The bill did not receive a hearing, but providing a way for workers to save on the job is important for our state, and AARP Indiana will continue to pursue it next session.

Public-private retirement savings accounts help workers take control of their financial future.

• 72% of workers at firms with <10 employees and 57% at firms with 10-24 employees lack retirement options.
• 886,000 workers earning ≤$53,000 lack a program through their employer.

Smaller employers will be more competitive in today’s market since they usually can’t offer retirement savings because they’re often too expensive and time-consuming to administer. Providing a way for workers to save on the job reduces reliance on taxpayer-funded programs—and decreases the financial burden for state government.

Final Senate Vote: N/A
Final House Vote: N/A
AARP Indiana Position: Support
Bill Did Not Advance

HEA 1001 – State Budget
Authors: Rep. Jeffrey Thompson
Co-Authors: Rep. Gregory Porter, Rep. Craig Snow, Rep. Jack Jordan
Sponsors: Sen. Ryan Mishler, Sen. Chris Garten, Sen. David Niezgodski

The only legislation that the Indiana General Assembly needed to pass this session was the state's two-year budget. The revenue forecast before the end of the session projected a $2.4 billion shortfall which caused several late changes and made a tighter budget even tighter. To increase revenue and offset rising Medicaid costs, the state’s cigarette tax will be increased by $2 per pack which is expected to generate nearly $800 million over the next two years.

Several of AARP Indiana's priorities saw funding maintained while others saw decreases due to 5% cuts to most state agencies and a 60% cut to public health funding.

To enable older Hoosiers to age in place, it was essential to maintain funding for programs that support them. Despite challenges in the new state budget, it continues to finance several key programs.

Final Senate Vote: 39-11
Final House Vote: 66-27
Signed By the Governor: 5/6/25

House Bill 1174 - Charges for Supervised Loans
Authors: Rep. Jake Teshka
Co-Authors: Rep. Chris Judy, Rep. Robert Heaton
Sponsors: Sen. Scott Baldwin

HB 1174 was legislation that would have created a new, longer-term loan that was loaded with service fees in addition to interest and other charges.

• For example: On loans up to $5,000, the borrower would pay up to $200 per month. It would have also allowed lenders to raise interest rates on very large loans (such as a car loan) up to 36%, compared to the current limit of 25%.

AARP Indiana was opposed to this legislation for several reasons. The legislation threatened the economic security of many Hoosiers and jeopardized their financial future. The “service” fees along under the bill could be charged every month for the life of the loan, no matter how much has been paid back, which was excessive. It was also extremely concerning that the lenders who wanted to offer these loans could charge criminally high interest rates, profiting more from borrowers who struggle to repay.

Final House Vote: 51-46
Final Senate Vote: N/A
AARP Indiana Position: Oppose
Bill Did Not Advance 

HEA 1226 Medicare Supplement Insurance
Authors: Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser
Co-Authors: Rep. Edward Clere, Rep. Martin Carbaugh, Rep. Chris Campbell
Sponsors: Sen. Kyle Walker, Sen. Fady Qaddoura, Sen. Lonnie Randolph

HEA 1226 will align Indiana with the 9 other states that have adopted a so-called “birthday rule.”

States that have this rule: California, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Nevada, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. The “birthday rule” in HEA 1226 gives Hoosiers a 60-day window, starting on their birthday each year, to switch to another provider without the fear of being turned away due to health conditions. The legislation’s narrow focus of limiting people to moving laterally avoids the risk that a person might annually increase their coverage as they age, potentially driving up premiums for others.

When a Hoosier enrolls in traditional Medicare, they have a single, six-month open enrollment period to choose a Medicare supplement policy, also called Medigap. Once they choose their policy, they are often stuck with these plans, as it can be difficult or even impossible to change their coverage.

If Hoosiers want to change because they are dissatisfied with their provider or struggling to afford their premiums, they are subject to medical underwriting and can be denied coverage or charged exorbitant premiums due to their medical history and pre-existing conditions.

HEA 1226 guarantees that Hoosiers enrolled in Medigap can make changes to their coverage each year, if they choose.

Final Senate Vote: 45-2 
Final House Vote: 94-0
Signed By the Governor: 4/10/25
AARP Indiana Position: Support

HEA 1297 Motor Vehicle Medical Information Program
Authors: Rep. Sue Errington
Co-Authors: Rep. Jim Pressel, Rep. Earl Harris, Rep. Michael Karickhoff
Sponsors: Sen. Blake Doriot, Sen. Scott Alexander, Sen. J.D. Ford, Sen. Lonnie Randolph, Sen. La Keisha Jackson, Sen. Rodney Pol

HEA 1297 creates the voluntary Yellow Dot Motor Vehicle Medical Information Program.

Participants in the program will put a yellow sticker on the rear, driver-side window of their vehicles, and will store a yellow envelope with important medical information in the glove compartment.

The Division of Aging will distribute these folders at no cost through Area Agencies on Aging and Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) license branches, making it accessible to a broad audience.

In case of an accident, first responders will be able to quickly access important details about the injured person's medical history, allergies, and conditions, ensuring prompt and informed care during emergencies. The Yellow Dot program is currently active in 22 states.

Having this information available will lead to quicker, more informed responses in critical situations, ultimately improving patient outcomes across Indiana.

Final Senate Vote: 49-0
Final House Vote: 94-0
Signed By the Governor: 4/10/25
AARP Indiana Position: Support

HEA 1391 – Services for the Aged and Disabled
Authors: Rep. Edward Clere
Co-Authors: Rep. Cindy Ledbetter, Rep. Lori Goss-Reaves, Rep. Robin Shackleford
Sponsors: Sen. Greg Goode, Sen. Liz Brown, Sen. La Keisha Jackson, Sen. J.D. Ford, Sen. Vaneta Becker, Sen. Lonnie Randolph, Sen. Chris Garten, Sen. Fady Qaddoura, Sen. Rodney Pol, Sen. Ed Charbonneau, Sen. Michael Crider, Sen. Jeff Raatz

HEA 1391 initiates the Medicaid Diversion Pilot Program to evaluate how home modifications and chronic care services offered by specified AAAs can help lower Medicaid costs. This bill prohibits the Division of Aging from requiring a Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled (CHOICE) provider to be certified under the Medicaid program or a Medicaid waiver program and creates an exception for a provider of certain services.

Under HEA 1391, FSSA allows subcontracting with AAAs for Level of Care Assessments for the:

• Health and Wellness Medicaid waiver;
• Traumatic Brain Injury Medicaid waiver;
• Risk-based managed care program for the covered population.

As part of the legislation, FSSA and the AAAs will conduct a comprehensive review of the AAA service areas to identify potential updates and improvements. This initiative aims to address current inconsistencies and explore necessary reforms to enhance delivery and efficiency for the consumer.

HEA 1391 will strengthen transparency within the AAAs and the CHOICE program, ensuring older Hoosiers receive the quality of service they deserve.

Final House Vote: 80-0
Final Senate Vote: 47-2
Signed By the Governor: 5/1/25
AARP Indiana Position: Support

HEA 1587 – Insurance Matters
Authors: Rep. Martin Carbaugh
Co-Authors: Rep. Beau Baird, Rep. Brad Barrett, Rep. Robin Shackleford
Sponsors: Sen. Mike Gaskill, Sen. Scott Baldwin, Sen. Lonnie Randolph

Included in this bill are various insurance topics, but what AARP Indiana supported was a new requirement that health plans reimburse for emergency medical services that are performed or provided as part of Mobile Integrated Healthcare programs (MIH).

MIH is a patient-centered model of care delivered in a patient's home or in a mobile environment. MIH programs offer a range of services, including diabetic monitoring, disease management, vaccinations, substance abuse and mental illness mitigation, and maternal and infant care.

Hoosiers want to stay in their homes and communities for as long as possible and MIH programs like the ones in Crawfordsville, Monticello, Muncie, and elsewhere across the state can help them to do just that.
 
These programs have been successful in curbing costs by reducing hospital readmissions and inappropriate use of emergency departments.

Final Senate Vote: 50-0
Final House Vote: 91-0
Signed By the Governor: 5/6/25