Tim Blasl, vice president of the North Dakota Hospital Association, said the Indian Health Service Aberdeen Area Office and the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota owe North Dakota hospitals between $13-$14 million for unpaid medical bills, according to an Aberdeen News report.
However, the Three Affiliated Tribes and IHS have refuted that number, reporting they each owe hospitals $3 million and $1.4 million, respectively. Trinity Hospital in Minot; Sanford Health based in Fargo; and St. Alexius Medical Center and MedCenter One, both in Bismarck, are reportedly owed the most.
Officials from the hospital association, IHS and the Three Affiliated Tribes have been meeting to resolve the value of the unpaid bills.
At the heart of the issue is what constitutes qualified charges under IHS and the Contract Health Services program, according to the report. Although American Indians are required to receive medical care from an IHS or a tribally operated facility, private hospitals that are paid through the Contract Health Services program are not permitted to turn away emergency cases or redirect patients to an IHS facility.
Read the Aberdeen News report about North Dakota hospital payments.
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However, the Three Affiliated Tribes and IHS have refuted that number, reporting they each owe hospitals $3 million and $1.4 million, respectively. Trinity Hospital in Minot; Sanford Health based in Fargo; and St. Alexius Medical Center and MedCenter One, both in Bismarck, are reportedly owed the most.
Officials from the hospital association, IHS and the Three Affiliated Tribes have been meeting to resolve the value of the unpaid bills.
At the heart of the issue is what constitutes qualified charges under IHS and the Contract Health Services program, according to the report. Although American Indians are required to receive medical care from an IHS or a tribally operated facility, private hospitals that are paid through the Contract Health Services program are not permitted to turn away emergency cases or redirect patients to an IHS facility.
Read the Aberdeen News report about North Dakota hospital payments.
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