Overview:
The Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation extending the deadline for most IHS patients to report emergency care received outside IHS facilities from 72 hours to 15 days.
The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed bipartisan legislation that would give Indian Health Service patients more time to report emergency medical care received outside IHS facilities.
The IHS Emergency Claims Parity Act, led by U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.
“During a medical emergency, the last thing a patient should have to worry about is submitting burdensome paperwork to the government,” Cortez Masto said. “Our bill gives patients the time to focus on rest and recovery while still getting the health care coverage they are eligible for. I thank my Senate colleagues for passing this measure and will continue working to get this bill passed into law.”
Under current IHS rules, patients who receive emergency care at a non-IHS facility generally must notify the IHS Purchased and Referred Care program within 72 hours of receiving treatment.
IHS beneficiaries who are considered elderly or disabled have a longer reporting period of 30 days to notify the agency about emergency medical care received from non-IHS providers or facilities.
The bipartisan legislation would extend the reporting period for most IHS beneficiaries from 72 hours to 15 days, giving patients additional time to submit the required notification following an emergency.
The existing 30-day reporting period for IHS beneficiaries who are elderly or disabled would remain unchanged.
The legislation is intended to address the practical challenges patients can face when dealing with administrative requirements while recovering from an emergency or serious medical condition.
Cortez Masto has made Tribal health care and public safety among her areas of legislative focus. She has also supported bipartisan legislation addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, improving IHS recruitment and retention, protecting Native voting rights and providing tax parity for Tribes.
The IHS Emergency Claims Parity Act must now be considered by the House before it can be sent to the president for signature.
