Sec. 12. (a) The state board of accounts:

(1) shall approve or prescribe the manner in which the hospital records are kept;

(2) except as provided in subsection (c), shall audit the records of the hospital; and

(3) may approve forms for use by all hospitals or groups of hospitals.

(b) The governing board may use the calendar year or a fiscal year for maintaining hospital financial records. A hospital that receives a financial subsidy from the county for hospital operations, excluding mental health or ambulance services, during the preceding calendar or fiscal year must file with the county executive and the county fiscal body an annual report showing the income and expenses of the operating fund for the preceding calendar or fiscal year by major classification according to the chart of accounts approved by the state board of accounts. If the hospital uses a calendar year for maintaining financial records, the report must be filed not later than the last Monday in March of each year. If the hospital uses a fiscal year for maintaining financial records, the report must be filed not later than ninety (90) days after the close of the fiscal year. The annual report shall be published one (1) time. Hospital financial records may be kept in hard copy, on microfilm, or via another data system acceptable to the state board of accounts.

(c) A hospital may elect to have an audit required under subsection (a) performed by an independent certified public accounting firm that is experienced in hospital matters. The audit report must be kept on file at the hospital and a copy must be provided to the state board of accounts. The audit engagement by a certified public accounting firm must be performed pursuant to guidelines established by the state board of accounts.

(d) If a hospital elects to use an independent certified public accounting firm under subsection (c), the hospital shall provide written notice to the state board of accounts not less than one hundred eighty (180) days before the beginning of the hospital's fiscal year in which the hospital elects to be audited by an independent certified public accounting firm. For that hospital fiscal year, and each following fiscal year until the hospital terminates the hospital's use of an independent certified public accounting firm, the hospital shall use an independent certified public accounting firm under subsection (c). A hospital shall terminate its use of an independent certified public accounting firm under subsection (c) by providing written notice to the state board of accounts not less than one hundred eighty (180) days before the beginning of the hospital's fiscal year in which the hospital elects not to be audited by an independent certified public accounting firm. For that hospital fiscal year, and each following fiscal year until the hospital elects to use an independent certified public accounting firm as provided under this subsection, the hospital must be audited by the state board of accounts for purposes of section 12(a)(2) of this chapter. For any fiscal year in which the hospital does not use an independent certified public accounting firm under subsection (c), the hospital shall be audited by the state board of accounts.

(e) Any information concerning the specific salaries paid to individual employees of a hospital may be withheld by the hospital from disclosure under IC 5-14-3. However, the information must be provided to the state board of accounts upon request. The state board of accounts shall maintain the confidentiality of the information as required under IC 5-14-3-6.5.

[Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-12.1-3-10.]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.5. Amended by P.L.91-2002, SEC.8 and P.L.100-2002, SEC.9; P.L.208-2016, SEC.5.