The Indiana House and Senate have both voted to repeal the state's Uniform Policy Provision Law (UPPL), a 60-year-old law that allows insurers to deny claims if accident victims test positive for alcohol or other drugs. Critics say the law has the unintended consequence of discouraging hospitals and other healthcare facilities from screening patients for addictive disorders.

The bill, HB-1378, was passed 89-6 in the state House in February and 48-0 by the state Senate on April 3. It will become law on Jan. 1, 2008.

The Evansville Courier and Press reported March 30 that the UPPL law allowed insurers to deny claims when accident victims had any amount of alcohol in their blood, not just those who were intoxicated. "The original purpose was to deter drunk driving. Over time, it has been shown not to do that," said Rep. Trent Van Haaften (D-Mount Vernon), a former prosecutor who sponsored the legislation.

Moreover, the laws have impeded a national campaign to increase alcohol and other drug screenings in hospitals: for example, insurers denied coverage to six patients screened at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville,  costing the hospital $360,000 in unpaid bills. The hospital stopped screening emergency-room patients for alcohol and other drugs soon thereafter.

The Indiana Hospital and Health Association and the Indiana Medical Association came out in favor of the bill, which had no public opposition.