IHS: Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund

Federal Register

Aug 30, 2024

Notice of final rule from the Indian Health Service (IHS) finalizing regulations governing the administration of the Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund (CHEF). The purpose of the CHEF is to meet the extraordinary medical costs associated with the treatment of victims of disasters or catastrophic illnesses who are within the responsibility of the IHS. This regulation establishes 1) definitions governing the CHEF, including definitions of disasters and catastrophic illnesses; 2) that a Service Unit shall not be eligible for reimbursement for the cost of treatment from the CHEF until its cost of treating any victim of such catastrophic illness or disaster has reached a certain threshold cost; 3) a procedure for reimbursement of the portion of the costs for authorized services that exceed such threshold costs; 4) a procedure for payment from the CHEF for cases in which the exigencies of the medical circumstances warrant treatment prior to the authorization of such treatment; and 5) procedure that will ensure no payment will be made from the CHEF to a Service Unit to the extent the provider of services is eligible to receive payment for the treatment from any other Federal, state, local, or private source of reimbursement for which the patient is eligible. This rule is effective October 29, 2024.

American Indian or Alaska Native · Emergency preparedness and response · Health conditions · Healthcare business and finance · Legislation and regulations · Reimbursement and payment models