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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Purchase/Referred Care

Eligibility refers to direct services delivered by an Indian Health Service tribal government operated facility. The eligibility requirement for Purchased Referred Care (PRC) (previously Contract Health Services (CHS)) delivered by referral to a non-tribal facility or provider is stricter than for direct healthcare. To be eligible for PRC, an individual must reside within a PRC Delivery Area (PRCDA) and be a member of a federally recognized tribe or descendant of an Indian who was living in California on June 1, 1852, and living on or near the established PRCDA.

For more information on the IHS Purchase/Referred Care:

  • Medical Priorities
  • PRCDA Expansion
  • Eligibility
  • Appeal Process
  • Patient Rights and Grievances
  • Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund (CHEF)
  • And more

check out the national IHS website section, Purchase/Referred Care.

Visit the Department of the Interior, Trace Indian Ancestry page for more information on how to trace your ancestry.