Indian Health Service Emergency Claims Parity Act

S. 1055 would amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to set a uniform 15-day notification window for emergency contract health services provided to Indians by non-Indian Health Service (IHS) providers or facilities. Currently, a different notification deadline applies specifically to elderly or disabled Indian beneficiaries under this provision; the bill restructures the law so that the 15-day window becomes the general rule for all Indians receiving such emergency care, while preserving the existing separate rule for elderly or disabled beneficiaries as a distinct subsection.

The bill affects Indians who receive emergency medical care from non-IHS providers or facilities under IHS contract-health-service authority, as well as the providers and IHS staff who must meet this notification deadline as a condition of payment for the emergency treatment. By standardizing the timeframe, it aims to align payment-eligibility rules for emergency claims across this beneficiary population.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on March 13, 2025, by Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), with Senator Cortez Masto as a cosponsor, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. On August 5, 2026, the committee voted to order the bill reported to the full Senate without amendment. The next step would be consideration by the full Senate; the bill would also need to pass the House and be signed by the President to become law.

Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.