Purchased/Referred Care
What are Purchased/Referred Care?
Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) is health care purchased by the Indian Health Service (IHS) from non IHS providers and facilities when direct services of care are not available.
PRC is required to operate within appropriated funds. There is no authority to provide payment for services under the PRC program unless funds are available.
Please click on one of the coverage area maps to the right for service delivery information for your location in Kansas, Oklahoma or Texas.
PRC is not:
- An Entitlement Program
- An Insurance Program
Does the Oklahoma City Area's PRC Program have unlimited funds?
No. PRC resources are based on a limited congressional appropriation (or budget).
When are PRC funds used?
PRC funds are used in situations where:- No IHS direct care facility exists.
- The direct care facility cannot provide the required emergency speciality care.
- The direct care facility has an overflow of medical care workload.
PRC is limited to services that are medically indicated within the established medical priorities.
If services are not authorized for payment they will be denied or deferred.
Due to COVID-19 activities, our PRC programs are experiencing higher call volumes than normal. Unfortunately, this may lead to a delay in response to your inquiry. Please be assured that each call is important to us and messages will be returned as quickly as feasible. To reach PRC by phone for questions or concerns please call (405) 951-6075. If you prefer, you may email our program, however, please keep in mind that our email system is not secure.
