H.R. 3962/Division D/Title II

TITLE II — IMPROVEMENT OF INDIAN HEALTH CARE PROVIDED UNDER THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT

Sec. 3201. Expansion of payments under Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP for all covered services furnished by Indian Health Programs.

(a) Medicaid.—

(1) EXPANSION TO ALL COVERED SERVICES.—Section 1911 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396j) is amended—

(A) by amending the heading to read as follows:

“SEC. 1911. Indian Health Programs”; and

(B) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

“(a) Eligibility for payment for medical assistance.—An Indian Health Program shall be eligible for payment for medical assistance provided under a State plan or under waiver authority with respect to items and services furnished by the Program if the furnishing of such services meets all the conditions and requirements which are applicable generally to the furnishing of items and services under this title and under such plan or waiver authority.”.

(2) REPEAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISION.—Subsection (b) of such section is repealed.

(3) REVISION OF AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS.—Subsection (c) of such section is amended to read as follows:

“(c) Authority To enter into agreements.—The Secretary may enter into an agreement with a State for the purpose of reimbursing the State for medical assistance provided by the Indian Health Service, an Indian Tribe, Tribal Organization, or an Urban Indian Organization (as so defined), directly, through referral, or under contracts or other arrangements between the Indian Health Service, an Indian Tribe, Tribal Organization, or an Urban Indian Organization and another health care provider to Indians who are eligible for medical assistance under the State plan or under waiver authority. This subsection shall not be construed to impair the entitlement of a State to reimbursement for such medical assistance under this title.”.

(4) CROSS-REFERENCES TO SPECIAL FUND FOR IMPROVEMENT OF IHS FACILITIES; DIRECT BILLING OPTION; DEFINITIONS.—Such section is further amended by striking subsection (d) and adding at the end the following new subsections:

“(c) Special fund for improvement of IHS facilities.—For provisions relating to the authority of the Secretary to place payments to which a facility of the Indian Health Service is eligible for payment under this title into a special fund established under section 401(c)(1) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, see subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 401(c)(1) of such Act.

“(d) Direct billing.—For provisions relating to the authority of an Tribal Health Program to elect to directly bill for, and receive payment for, health care items and services provided by such Program for which payment is made under this title, see section 401(d) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.”.

(5) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1101(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1301(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(11) For purposes of this title and titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI, the terms ‘Indian Health Program’, ‘Indian Tribe’ (and ‘Indian tribe’), ‘Tribal Health Program’, ‘Tribal Organization’ (and ‘tribal organization’), and ‘urban Indian organization’ (and ‘urban Indian organization’) have the meanings given those terms in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.”.

(b) Medicare.—

(1) EXPANSION TO ALL COVERED SERVICES.—Section 1880 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395qq) is amended—

(A) by amending the heading to read as follows:

“SEC. 1880. Indian Health Programs”; and

(B) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

“(a) Eligibility for payments.—Subject to subsection (e), an Indian Health Program shall be eligible for payments under this title with respect to items and services furnished by the Program if the furnishing of such services meets all the conditions and requirements which are applicable generally to the furnishing of items and services under this title.”.

(2) REPEAL OF OBSOLETE PROVISION.—Subsection (b) of such section is repealed.

(3) CROSS-REFERENCES TO SPECIAL FUND FOR IMPROVEMENT OF IHS FACILITIES; DIRECT BILLING OPTION; DEFINITIONS.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Such section is further amended by striking subsections (c) and (d) and inserting the following new subsections:

“(b) Special fund for improvement of IHS facilities.—For provisions relating to the authority of the Secretary to place payments to which a facility of the Indian Health Service is eligible for payment under this title into a special fund established under section 401(c)(1) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, and the requirement to use amounts paid from such fund for making improvements in accordance with subsection (b), see subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 401(c)(1) of such Act.

“(c) Direct billing.—For provisions relating to the authority of a Tribal Health Program to elect to directly bill for, and receive payment for, health care items and services provided by such Program for which payment is made under this title, see section 401(d) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.”.

(B) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section is further amended—

(i) in subsection (e)(3), by striking “Subsection (c)” and inserting “Subsection (b) and section 401(b)(1) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act”;

(ii) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d); and

(iii) by striking subsection (f).

(4) DEFINITIONS.—Such section is further amended by amending adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(e) Definitions.—In this section, the terms ‘Indian Health Program’, ‘Indian Tribe’, ‘Service Unit’, ‘Tribal Health Program’, ‘Tribal Organization’, and ‘Urban Indian Organization’ have the meanings given those terms in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.”.

(c) Application to SCHIP.—Section 2107(e)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397gg(e)(1)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (K) through (M) as subparagraphs (L) through (N), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subparagraph (J), the following new subparagraph:

“(K) Section 1911 (relating to Indian Health Programs, other than subsection (c) of such section).”.

Sec. 3202. Additional provisions to increase outreach to, and enrollment of, Indians in SCHIP and Medicaid.

(a) Assurance of payments to Indian health care providers for child health assistance.—Section 2102(b)(3)(D) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397bb(b)(3)(D)) is amended by striking “(as defined in section 4(c) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 25 U.S.C. 1603(c))” and inserting “, including how the State will ensure that payments are made to Indian Health Programs and urban Indian organizations operating in the State for the provision of such assistance”.

(b) Inclusion of other Indian financed health care programs in exemption from prohibition on certain payments.—Section 2105(c)(6)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397ee(c)(6)(B)) is amended by striking “insurance program, other than an insurance program operated or financed by the Indian Health Service” and inserting “program, other than a health care program operated or financed by the Indian Health Service or by an Indian Tribe, Tribal Organization, or urban Indian organization”.

(c) Definitions.—Section 2110(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1397jj(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(9) INDIAN; INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAM; INDIAN TRIBE; ETC.—The terms ‘Indian’, ‘Indian Health Program’, ‘Indian Tribe’, ‘Tribal Organization’, and ‘Urban Indian Organization’ have the meanings given those terms in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.”.

Sec. 3203. Solicitation of proposals for safe harbors under the Social Security Act for facilities of Indian Health Programs and urban Indian organizations.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, shall publish a notice, described in section 1128D(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–7d(a)(1)(A)), soliciting a proposal, not later than July 1, 2010, on the development of safe harbors described in such section relating to health care items and services provided by facilities of Indian Health Programs or an urban Indian organization (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act). Such a safe harbor may relate to areas such as transportation, housing, or cost-sharing, assistance provided through such facilities or contract health services for Indians.

Sec. 3204. Annual report on Indians served by Social Security Act health benefit programs.

Section 1139 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–9), as amended by the sections 3203 and 3204, is amended by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f), and inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsection:

“(e) Annual report on Indians served by health benefit programs funded under this Act.—Beginning January 1, 2011, and annually thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Director of the Indian Health Service, shall submit a report to Congress regarding the enrollment and health status of Indians receiving items or services under health benefit programs funded under this Act during the preceding year. Each such report shall include the following:

“(1) The total number of Indians enrolled in, or receiving items or services under, such programs, disaggregated with respect to each such program.

“(2) The number of Indians described in paragraph (1) that also received health benefits under programs funded by the Indian Health Service.

“(3) General information regarding the health status of the Indians described in paragraph (1), disaggregated with respect to specific diseases or conditions and presented in a manner that is consistent with protections for privacy of individually identifiable health information under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

“(4) A detailed statement of the status of facilities of the Indian Health Service or an Indian Tribe, Tribal Organization, or an Urban Indian Organization with respect to such facilities' compliance with the applicable conditions and requirements of titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI, and, in the case of title XIX or XXI, under a State plan under such title or under waiver authority, and of the progress being made by such facilities (under plans submitted under 1911(b) or otherwise) toward the achievement and maintenance of such compliance.

“(5) Such other information as the Secretary determines is appropriate.”.

Sec. 3205. Development of recommendations to improve interstate coordination of Medicaid and SCHIP coverage of Indian children and other children who are outside of their State of residency because of educational or other needs.

(a) Study.—

The Secretary shall conduct a study to identify barriers to interstate coordination of enrollment and coverage under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program under title XXI of such Act of children who are eligible for medical assistance or child health assistance under such programs and who, because of educational needs, migration of families, emergency evacuations, or otherwise, frequently change their State of residency or otherwise are temporarily present outside of the State of their residency. Such study shall include an examination of the enrollment and coverage coordination issues faced by Indian children who are eligible for medical assistance or child health assistance under such programs in their State of residence and who temporarily reside in an out-of-State boarding school or peripheral dormitory funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

(b) Report.—

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with directors of State Medicaid programs under title XIX of the Social Security Act and directors of State Children’s Health Insurance Programs under title XXI of such Act, shall submit a report to Congress that contains recommendations for such legislative and administrative actions as the Secretary determines appropriate to address the enrollment and coverage coordination barriers identified through the study required under subsection (a).