§ 1621a — Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund

(a) There is established an Indian Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund (hereafter in this section referred to as the “CHEF”) consisting of— (1) the amounts deposited under subsection (f); and (2) the amounts appropriated to CHEF under this section. (b) CHEF shall be administered by the Secretary, acting through the headquarters of the Service, solely for the purpose of meeting the extraordinary medical costs associated with the treatment of victims of disasters or catastrophic illnesses who are within the responsibility of the Service. (c) nor shall CHEF funds be allocated, apportioned, or delegated on an Area Office, Service Unit, or other similar basis. (d) The Secretary shall promulgate regulations consistent with the provisions of this section to— (1) establish a definition of disasters and catastrophic illnesses for which the cost of the treatment provided under contract would qualify for payment from CHEF; (2) provide that a Service Unit shall not be eligible for reimbursement for the cost of treatment from CHEF until its cost of treating any victim of such catastrophic illness or disaster has reached a certain threshold cost which the Secretary shall establish at— (A) the 2000 level of $19,000; and (B) for any subsequent year, not less than the threshold cost of the previous year increased by the percentage increase in the medical care expenditure category of the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) for the 12-month period ending with December of the previous year; (3) establish a procedure for the reimbursement of the portion of the costs that exceeds such threshold cost incurred by— (A) Service Units; or (B) whenever otherwise authorized by the Service, non-Service facilities or providers; (4) establish a procedure for payment from CHEF in cases in which the exigencies of the medical circumstances warrant treatment prior to the authorization of such treatment by the Service; and (5) establish a procedure that will ensure that no payment shall be made from CHEF to any provider of treatment to the extent that such provider 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. (e) Amounts appropriated to CHEF under this section shall not be used to offset or limit appropriations made to the Service under the authority of section 13 of this title, or any other law. (f) There shall be deposited into CHEF all reimbursements to which the Service is entitled from any Federal, State, local, or private source (including third party insurance) by reason of treatment rendered to any victim of a disaster or catastrophic illness the cost of which was paid from CHEF.