S 3797 United States Senate · 118th Congress

Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act

This bill amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to clarify and improve reimbursement for patients who pay directly for authorized "purchased/referred care" services. It changes liability protections so patients are not liable for payments made to providers or third-party debt collectors, and requires the Indian Health Service to establish procedures within 120 days for patients to submit documentation (electronically or in person) to receive reimbursement within 30 days. The bill directly affects Native American patients who paid out-of-pocket for care authorized under the program. Key provisions include replacing "contract health care" with "purchased/referred care" throughout the law and creating a clear, time-bound reimbursement process.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2024
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Feb 12, 2024 Last action Feb 12, 2024
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Total actions
2
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Committee
1
Feb 12, 2024
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
upper
Feb 12, 2024
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 4 co-sponsors

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