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Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2025
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.
Summary
This bill would amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to protect Indian Health Service patients from liability for purchased or referred care services authorized by the Service. Patients would not be held responsible for payment regardless of any agreement or form they may have signed, and the protection would extend to prevent providers, debt collectors, and other persons from collecting payment from patients. The bill also establishes procedures allowing patients who paid out-of-pocket for authorized services to be reimbursed by the Service within 30 days of submitting documentation, which can be done electronically or in-person. The Secretary must establish these reimbursement procedures within 120 days in consultation with Indian Tribes. Additionally, the bill updates terminology throughout the law to refer to these services as "purchased/referred care" rather than "contract health services."
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
7 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Dusty Johnson’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $68,175
- SANFORD HEALTH $31,000
- STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA $28,050
- AVERA HEALTH $18,200
- VANTAGE POINT $15,205
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Dusty Johnson → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Feb 18, 2025 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
- Feb 18, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 18, 2025
Mr. Johnson of South Dakota (for himself and Ms. Schrier) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. CHANGES TO LIABILITY FOR PAYMENT.
(a) In General.—Section 222 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1621u) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by striking “A patient” and inserting “Notwithstanding any other provision of law or any agreement, form, or other written or electronic document signed by a patient, a patient”; and
(B) by striking “contract health care” and inserting “purchased/referred care”;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking “contract care” each place it appears and inserting “purchased/referred care”;
(B) by striking “contract health care” and inserting “purchased/referred care”;
(C) by inserting “, notwithstanding any other provision of law or any agreement, form, or other written or electronic document signed by a patient,” after “by the Service that”; and
(D) by inserting “to any provider, debt collector, or any other person” after “is not liable”;
(3) in subsection (c), by inserting “, the debt collector, or any other person, as applicable” after “the provider”; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
“(d) Reimbursement.—
“(1) In general.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection and in consultation with Indian Tribes, the Secretary shall establish and implement procedures to allow a patient that paid out-of-pocket for purchased/referred care services authorized by the Service under this Act to be reimbursed by the Service for that payment not later than 30 days after the patient submits documentation to the Service pursuant to paragraph (2).
“(2) Submitting documentation.—The Secretary shall accept documentation from a patient seeking reimbursement under paragraph (1) that was submitted—
“(A) electronically; or
“(B) in-person at a Service facility.
“(3) Effect.—The preceding provisions of this subsection shall not apply to purchased/referred care service furnished under a purchased/referred care services program operated by an Indian Tribe under an Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) compact or contract unless expressly agreed to by the Indian Tribe.
“(e) Updating Authorities.—Not later than 180 days of the enactment of this subsection and in consultation with Indian Tribes, the Secretary shall update applicable provisions of and exhibits to the Indian Health Manual, contracts with providers, and other relevant documents and administrative authorities to incorporate the provisions of this section.”.
(b) Application.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to purchased/referred care services authorized by the Indian Health Service furnished on, before, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
(a) Definitions.—Section 4(5) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603) is amended by striking the paragraph designation and heading and all that follows through “means” and inserting the following:
“(5) Purchased/referred care.—The term ‘purchased/ referred care’ means”.
(b) Technical Amendments.—The Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is amended by striking “contract health service” each place it appears (regardless of casing and typeface and including in the headings) and inserting “purchased/referred care” (with appropriate casing and typeface).
(c) Updating Authorities.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services is directed to ensure that the Indian Health Manual and all other relevant rules, guidance, manuals, and other materials are revised such that “contract health service”, each place it appears (regardless of casing and typeface and including in the headings) is revised to read “purchased/referred care” (with appropriate casing and typeface). <all>
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