Senate Bill Would Shield Native Patients From Bills for Indian Health Service Referrals
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
This bill directly protects Native Americans and Alaska Natives who receive medical care through the Indian Health Service's purchased/referred care program. When IHS sends a patient to an outside doctor or hospital, the patient would no longer be on the hook for any of those charges — even if they signed paperwork saying they'd pay. Patients who already paid out of pocket for IHS-approved outside care could also get reimbursed within 30 days of submitting their receipts. This is a meaningful protection against surprise medical debt for tribal members who rely on IHS referrals for specialty care not available at their local IHS facility.
Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing on S. 699, the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2025. The bill requires the IHS to reimburse tribal patients for care sought outside of IHS in a timely manner and clarifies that patients are not liable for authorized care costs.
Analysis of H.R. 1418, which prohibits health-care providers and debt collectors from billing patients for care authorized by the IHS. It requires IHS to reimburse patients for out-of-pocket costs for authorized care and strengthens existing laws to prevent wrongful medical debt.
Investigation into the systemic failures of the IHS Purchased/Referred Care program. While the agency is supposed to cover outside referrals, administrative fumbles and funding shortages leave thousands of Native Americans with daunting medical bills or without necessary treatment.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2025
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