114 STAT. 1812 PUBLIC LAW 106-417—NOV. 1, 2000 Public Law 106-417 106th Congress An Act Nov. 1, 2000 [S. 406] Alaska Native and American Indian Direct Reimbursement Act of 2000. 25 USC 1601 note. 25 USC 1645 note. To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to make permanent the demonstration program that allows for direct billing of medicare, medicaid, and other third party payors, and to expand the eligibility under such program to other tribes and tribal organizations. 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 "Alaska Native and American Indian Direct Reimbursement Act of 2000". SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) In 1988, Congress enacted section 405 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1645) that established a demonstration program to authorize 4 tribally-operated Indian Health Service hospitals or clinics to test methods for direct billing and receipt of payment for health services provided to patients eligible for reimbursement under the medicare or medicaid programs under titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.; 1396 et seq.), and other third party payors. (2) The 4 participants selected by the Indian Health Service for the demonstration program began the direct billing and collection program in fiscal year 1989 and unanimously expressed success and satisfaction with the program. Benefits of the program include dramatically increased collections for services provided under the medicare and medicaid programs, a significant reduction in the turn-around time between billing and receipt of pa3nnents for services provided to eligible patients, and increased efficiency of participants being able to track their own billings and collections. (3) The success of the demonstration program confirms that the direct involvement of tribes and tribal organizations in the direct billing of, and collection of payments from, the medicare and medicaid programs, and other third party payor reimbursements, is more beneficial to Indian tribes than the current system of Indian Health Service-managed collections. (4) Allowing tribes and tribal organizations to directly manage their medicare and medicaid billings and collections, rather than channeling all activities through the Indian Health Service, will enable the Indian Health Service to reduce its administrative costs, is consistent with the provisions of the Indian Self-Determination Act, and furthers the commitment
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