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Indian Health Care: Clearer Payments, Patient Reimbursements, and Liability Changes

This act brings significant changes for individuals using Indian Health Service (IHS) healthcare, especially regarding "purchased/referred care" costs. Patients will no longer be liable for these charges, and IHS must reimburse out-of-pocket payments. This provides greater financial protection and clearer rules for accessing healthcare services.
Key points
Patients will no longer be liable for charges related to purchased/referred care services authorized by the Indian Health Service (IHS), regardless of prior agreements or signed documents.
IHS must establish procedures to reimburse patients for out-of-pocket payments for authorized services within 30 days of documentation submission.
The act standardizes terminology, replacing "contract health service" with "purchased/referred care" across all relevant documents for improved clarity.
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Additional Information
Print number: 118_HR_7516
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large]
Process start date: 2024-03-01
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Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
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OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2024

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 118_HR_7516.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2024-03-01.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Patients will no longer be liable for charges related to purchased/referred care services authorized by the Indian Health Service (IHS), regardless of prior agreements or signed documents.
  • IHS must establish procedures to reimburse patients for out-of-pocket payments for authorized services within 30 days of documentation submission.
  • The act standardizes terminology, replacing "contract health service" with "purchased/referred care" across all relevant documents for improved clarity.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 748.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-25.

CATEGORIES

Health