Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “IHS Provider Integrity Act”.
IHS Provider Integrity Act
A BILL
To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to ensure that, whenever the Indian Health Service undertakes an investigation into the professional conduct of a licensee of a State, the Service notifies the relevant State medical board, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Notification of investigation regarding professional conduct; submission of records
Title VIII of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“833. Notification of investigation regarding professional conduct; submission of records
“(a) Report—Not later than 14 calendar days after the date on which the Service undertakes an investigation into the professional conduct of a licensee of a State, the Secretary, acting through the Service, shall notify the relevant State medical board of the investigation.
“(b) Submission of records—Not later than 14 calendar days after the date on which the Service generates records relating to an investigation conducted by the Service into the professional conduct of a licensee of a State, the Secretary, acting through the Service, shall provide the records to the relevant State medical board.”
Sec. 3 Fitness of health care providers
In general— Title VIII of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is amended by inserting after section 802 (25 U.S.C. 1672) the following:
“803. Fitness of health care providers
“(a) Additional requirements for hiring of health care providers by Service—As part of the hiring process for each health care provider position at the Service after the date of enactment of the IHS Provider Integrity Act, the Director shall require from the medical board of each State in which the health care provider has or had a medical license—
“(1) information on any violation of the requirements of the medical license of the health care provider during the 20-year period ending on the date on which the health care provider is being considered for a position at the Service; and
“(2) information on whether the health care provider has entered into any settlement agreement for a disciplinary charge relating to the practice of medicine by the health care provider.
“(b) Provision of information on Service health care providers to State medical boards—Notwithstanding section 552a of title 5, United States Code, with respect to each health care provider of the Service who has violated a requirement of the medical license of the health care provider, the Director shall provide to the medical board of each State in which the health care provider is licensed detailed information with respect to the violation, regardless of whether the medical board has formally requested that information.”
Report on compliance by Indian Health Service with reviews of health care providers leaving Service or transferring to other facilities— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Indian Health Service shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report on the compliance by the Indian Health Service with the policy of the Indian Health Service—
to conduct a review of each health care provider of the Indian Health Service who transfers to another medical facility of the Indian Health Service, resigns, retires, or is terminated to determine whether there are any concerns, complaints, or allegations of violations relating to the medical practice of the health care provider; and
to take appropriate action with respect to any concern, complaint, or allegation described in subparagraph (A).