FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- "You're either for-profit or not-for-profit. If you're not-for-profit, let's act like it." State Representative Martin Carbaugh did not mince words as he described House Bill 1004, which he co-authored with fellow Republican representatives Ben Smaltz and Julie McGuire. The bill would require Indiana's non-profit hospital systems, long-accused of prices far above the national average, to charge no more than 200 percent of Medicare reimbursement rates or lose their non-profit status. "Then they would start paying taxes," Carbaugh told WANE 15. Devin Anderson, with the advocate group Hoosiers for Affordable Healthcare applauded the bill, calling it the most significant piece of legislation in Indiana in recent years to curb hospital prices, which he said are the ninth highest in the country. His group provided numbers that demonstrated what the bill's passage could mean: Ascension St. Vincent: Reduce prices by 40.5% Community Health Network: Reduce prices by 34% Deaconess Health System: Reduce prices by 23% Franciscan Health: Reduce prices by 30% IU Health: Reduce prices by 40.6% Parkview Health: Reduce prices by 40.8% Carbaugh admitted the current bill might look vastly different by the time it reaches the governor's desk, but it starts, what he called, the adult discussion. "At the end of the day, I'm confident we'll end up in a place that's going to be good for Hoosier taxpayers," he said. The Indiana Hospital Association suggested they were ready to work with lawmakers. "Hospitals look forward to working with Rep. Carbaugh, the Braun administration, and the entire Indiana General Assembly to find meaningful solutions for Hoosiers," Scott B. Tittle, president of the IHA said in a statement. "Hospitals continue to implement cost reduction strategies to make care more affordable and a recent report from the Indiana General Assembly shows prices are moving in the right direction." Beth Lock, director of government and legislative affairs at Parkview Health, shared a similar sentiment. "We look forward to working with the Indiana General Assembly to evaluate the impact this bill may have on non-profit hospitals and find meaningful solutions to lower the cost of healthcare." Carbaugh was quick to point out the region was blessed with quality healthcare providers, who he thought might be underpaid. "Sadly, we see hospitals fees going up, doctors compensation not keeping up, and taxpayers and employers paying a lot more in the process." As of Thursday, House Bill 1004 had not been scheduled for its first committee hearing.