DPC is pleased to announce that the State of Indiana has passed into law SB 215, which provides three affordable Medicare supplemental plans (also known as Medigap) to Medicare enrollees under the age of 65 – including to patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Senator Kyle Walker (R-IN-31) championed SB 215 in the Indiana Senate. Representative David Abbott (R-IN-18), a kidney transplant recipient himself, championed a companion bill in the Indiana House of Representatives. Governor Eric J. Holcomb (R-IN) signed SB 215 into state law on March 11, 2024.
We want to recognize DPC Patient Ambassador Arthur Hill, whose compelling story and tireless advocacy efforts helped to sway the hearts and minds of legislators. This legislation passed 42-2 in the Senate and unanimously 91-0 in the House of Representatives.
SB 215 improves legislation passed in 2020 that provided access only to Medigap Plan A, but did not include premium protections. The result was unaffordable premiums for under-age 65 individuals, up to more than $18,000 a year, compared to $5,000 a year for those age 65. Further, Plan A does not cover the annual hospital inpatient deductible of $1,600, an additional barrier for kidney transplantation.
SB 215 provides affordable access to Medigap Plans A, B and D, requiring that premiums are the same as age 65 for under-age 65 enrollees. For dialysis patients desiring a kidney transplant, Plans B and D cover the annual $1,600 inpatient hospital deductible. The remaining Medigap plans are premium protected at a 200% cap of the age 65 premium.
