,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cgig  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #ab1 
#bjbd,mr4 ,rounds 7for himself1 ,ms4    
,cantwell1 ,mr4 ,thune1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1   
and ,mrs4 ,murray7 introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,indian  
,affairs  ,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   
services1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,purchased and ,referred ,care      
,improvement ,act4  #b4 ,changes to     
liability for payment ,section #bbb of  
the ,indian ,health ,care ,improvement  
,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #afbau7 is amended--
 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 by       
striking ,a patient and inserting       
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 a patient2  7,b7 by striking       
contract health care and inserting      

purchased_/referred care2 and  7,c7 by  
inserting to any provider1 third party  
debt collector1 or any other person     
after shall not be liable2  7#b7 in     
subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 by striking       
contract care each place it appears and 
inserting purchased_/referred care2     
7,b7 by striking contract health care   
and inserting purchased_/referred care2 
7,c7 by inserting 1 notwithstanding any 
other provision of law1 after by the    
,service that2 and  7,d7 by inserting to
 any provider1 third party debt         
collector1 or any other person after is 
not liable2  7#c7 in subsection 7c71 by 
inserting 1 the third party debt        
collector1 or any other person1 as      
applicable after the provider2 and  7#d7
 by adding at the end the following3    
7d7 ,reimbursement  7#a7 ,in general    
,not later than #abj days after the date
 of enactment of this subsection1 the   
,service shall establish and implement  
procedures to allow a patient that paid 
directly for purchased_/referred care   

services authorized by the ,service     
under this ,act to be reimbursed by the 
purchased_/referred care program for    
that payment not later than #cj days    
after the patient submits documentation 
to the ,service pursuant to paragraph   
7#b74  7#b7 ,submitting documentation   
,the ,service shall accept documentation
 from a patient seeking reimbursement   
under paragraph 7#a7 that was           
submitted-- 7,a7 electronically2 or     
7,b7 in-person at a ,indian health      
program4  4