Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act”.
Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act
A BILL
To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to address liability for payment of charges or costs associated with provision of purchased/referred care services, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Changes to liability for payment
Section 222 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1621u) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
by striking “A patient” and inserting “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a patient”;
by striking “contract health care” and inserting “purchased/referred care”; and
by inserting “to any provider, third party debt collector, or any other person” after “shall not be liable”;
in subsection (b)—
by striking “contract care” each place it appears and inserting “purchased/referred care”;
by striking “contract health care” and inserting “purchased/referred care”;
by inserting “, notwithstanding any other provision of law,” after “by the Service that”; and
by inserting “to any provider, third party debt collector, or any other person” after “is not liable”;
in subsection (c), by inserting “, the third party debt collector, or any other person, as applicable” after “the provider”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(d) Reimbursement
“(1) In general—Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Service shall establish and implement procedures to allow a patient that paid directly for purchased/referred care services authorized by the Service under this Act to be reimbursed by the purchased/referred care program for that payment not later than 30 days after the patient submits documentation to the Service pursuant to paragraph (2).
“(2) Submitting documentation—The Service shall accept documentation from a patient seeking reimbursement under paragraph (1) that was submitted—
“(A) electronically; or
“(B) in-person at a Indian health program.”