H.R. 7516 amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to strengthen protections for Native American patients who receive purchased/referred care services, which are health services obtained from outside providers when the Indian Health Service cannot directly provide needed care. The bill clarifies that patients cannot be held liable for these costs, regardless of any agreement or document they may have signed, and extends this protection to shield them from being pursued by providers, debt collectors, or other parties. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to set up a reimbursement system within 120 days so patients who paid out-of-pocket for these services can get their money back within 30 days of submitting proper documentation, either electronically or in person. The bill also updates official terminology throughout the law and related administrative materials, replacing the outdated term "contract health service" with "purchased/referred care." These changes apply to services provided before, on, or after the bill's enactment, though tribes operating their own care programs under self-determination agreements can opt out of certain provisions unless they choose to participate.
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