The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2024
Record date · December 18, 2024
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
This bill protects patients from being held personally liable for medical bills that the Indian Health Service (IHS) is responsible for paying. It also creates a new, mandatory process for patients to be reimbursed by the government if they have already paid out-of-pocket for authorized care.
This legislation directly impacts Native American patients who receive care outside of IHS facilities by preventing debt collection for authorized services and establishing a strict 30-day timeline for the government to issue reimbursements for out-of-pocket costs.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Native American patients
Patients receiving purchased/referred care are protected from personal liability for costs and gain a formal reimbursement process for out-of-pocket expenses.
Indian Health Service
The agency is required to implement new reimbursement procedures and adhere to specific timelines for processing patient claims.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I already paid for my medical care out-of-pocket?
Can a debt collector still come after me for these medical bills?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools