The reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) in 2010 contained a new provision in Section 405(c) authorizing reimbursement from Veterans Affairs (VA) to the IHS as well as Tribal health systems for eligible services to Veterans. Since that time, agreements have been developed to implement this section, and the reimbursement system has proven to be highly successful by improving access to care for Veterans with services through IHS and Tribal health facilities. These are particularly valuable partnerships during a time of increased focus on Veterans’ timely access to health care services.
However, there is an important and significant component of the Indian health system to which Section 405(c) has
not yet been applied, specifically, Purchased and Referred Care (PRC).