INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE EMERGENCY CLAIMS PARITY ACT

On 2026-09-30, Senator John Thune (R-SD) delivered a floor speech titled "INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE EMERGENCY CLAIMS PARITY ACT" in the Senate.

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE EMERGENCY CLAIMS PARITY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 155 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S5298] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE EMERGENCY CLAIMS PARITY ACT Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 681, S. 1055. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 1055) to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to modify the notification requirement for emergency contract health services for certain beneficiaries, and for other purposes. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, which had been reported from the Committee on Indian Affairs. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill (S. 1055) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows: S. 1055 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act''. SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR EMERGENCY CONTRACT HEALTH SERVICES. Section 406 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1646) is amended-- (1) by striking ``With respect to'' and inserting the following: ``(b) Elderly or Disabled Indians.--With respect to''; and (2) by inserting before subsection (b) (as so designated) the following: ``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), with respect to an Indian receiving emergency medical care or services from a non-Service provider or in a non-Service facility under the authority of this Act, the time limitation (as a condition of payment) for notifying the Service of such treatment or admission shall be 15 days.''. ____________________

Referenced legislation: S1055, S1055