Bill will allow Hoosiers' emergency medical information to appear on IDs

A recent bill the Indiana House of Representatives passed will permit Indiana driver's licenses and identification cards to include serious medical alert information. Senate Bill 0208, co-sponsored by Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, aims to aid medical personnel in patient care when responding to emergency situations.\nOriginally, an Indiana bill allowed an individual's blood type to be posted on his or her license, but it was brought to the attention of state Sen. Gary Dillon, R-Columbia City, that blood type was not the most helpful information for emergency personnel, Welch said in a phone interview. She said a paramedic approached Dillon and informed him that his daughter had a rare medical condition and that including such serious health information on licenses would be much more beneficial to emergency medical workers. Dillon wrote the new medical alert information bill as a result. \nOnce the governor sign the bill into law, it will apply to all licenses and identification cards issued after Jan. 1, 2007, according to Indiana's Legislative Services Agency Online. The new amendment states that if applicants for a license or permit indicate that they have a medical condition, the bureau is required to put a symbol as well as a brief description of the illness on the license, according to the site.\nWelch said she believes the addition of medical alert information on driver's licenses will have an immediate positive impact. \n"This information can be important for Hoosiers with serious illnesses," Welch said. "Health care providers in an emergency situation will have medical information that may impact the treatment received by the patient." \nIt is important to note that the inclusion of medical information on licenses and identification cards is similar to the organ donor symbol in that it is entirely voluntary, she said. \n"It is the choice of the person and they are responsible for the accuracy of the information they provide," Welch said. \nSeveral states, including Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota and Mississippi, have already adopted similar medical alert symbols which are displayed on the front of their state's licenses, according to a 2004 research report Connecticut's Office of Legislative Research released. Most of those states, however, do not include a detailed description of the card-holder's medical condition on the actual license to accompany the symbol. \nThe Indiana licenses will include both a symbol and a description in order to prevent confusion amongst healthcare providers.\n"There was a concern that there could be confusion between hospitals on what the symbols mean and that the confusion would make the symbols unsafe," Welch said. "The symbol and summary will enable emergency medical personnel to give the most appropriate treatment to a patient. This helpful information will give families comfort concerning the safety and well-being of their loved ones."\nHaving appropriate medical information on hand at the time of an accident is extremely helpful to emergency personnel, Welch said. \n"In an emergency situation, minutes can save lives," she said.