# Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act

This bill makes sure that Native Americans who receive emergency medical care through the Indian Health Service (IHS) get treated the same way as other Americans when it comes to paying for that care. Right now, there's a gap in how emergency claims are handled—when someone from a tribe goes to an emergency room, the way their bill gets processed and paid can be different from how it works for other patients, which can create delays and complications.

The bill requires the IHS to follow the same rules and timelines that apply to other health insurance programs when handling emergency medical claims. This means if you're a Native American receiving care through IHS and you have an emergency, your claim should be processed just as quickly and fairly as anyone else's would be. It removes the special exceptions that have allowed the IHS to handle these claims differently, which sometimes resulted in slower payments to hospitals and doctors, or confusion about who's responsible for paying the bill.

The practical impact is that emergency rooms and hospitals will have clearer expectations about how and when they'll get paid for treating IHS patients, which should reduce billing disputes and delays. For Native Americans, it means better access to emergency care without worrying that their claims will be treated as second-class compared to other patients. This is particularly important in rural and tribal areas where emergency services might be limited and hospitals need reliable payment to stay operational.

Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act

Rounds, Mike

Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity ActThis bill extends from 72 hours to 15 days the time period&nbsp;to notify the Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) program of emergency medical care received from a non-Indian Health Service (IHS) medical provider or at a non-IHS medical facility. This bill does not apply to individuals who are elderly or disabled, who continue to have a 30-day notification requirement for emergency services.The IHS provides medical and dental services directly to American Indian and Alaska Native patients whenever possible. The PRC program pays for medical or dental care that is provided away from an IHS or tribal health care facility. The PRC program must be notified of requests for authorization of payment for health care services from a non-IHS provider.Currently in emergency cases, the patient, an individual on behalf of the patient, or the medical care provider must, within 72 hours after the beginning of treatment for the condition or after admission to a health care facility, notify a PRC authorizing official of the need for the emergency medical care. This bill instead allows the patient, other individual, or provider to notify PRC within 15 days of the treatment or admission.