Washington : Government Printing Office
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| Chap. 129 | Indian hospitals. Services to non-Indians. |
| Sec. 2 | Transfers of Indian hospitals. |
| Sec. 2 | Condition. |
| Sec. 2 | Restriction. |
| Sec. 3 | Contracts with physicians. |
| Sec. 4 | Standards of services. |
| Sec. 5 | Regulations. |
| Sec. 6 | 36 Proceeds. |
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in any areas where there are inadequate hospital beds and health facilities available to serve the non-Indian population, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized in his discretion to make available to non-Indians, hospital and health facilities operated by the Indian Bureau which are not being utilized for Indians, at such fees and under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe: Provided, That the fees charged will not be less than the per diem cost per patient of operating and maintaining the hospital or the health activity.
Whenever the health needs of the Indians can be better met thereby, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized in his discretion to enter into contracts with any State, Territory, or political subdivision thereof, or any appropriate Federal, State, Territory, or political subdivision thereof, or provide nonprofit corporation, agency, or institution providing for the transfer by the Indian Bureau of Indian hospitals or other health facilities, including initial operating equipment and supplies. It shall be a condition of each such transfer that all facilities transferred shall be available to meet the health needs of the Indians and that such health needs shall be given priority over those of the non-Indian population. No hospital or health facility that has been constructed or maintained for a specific tribe of Indians, or for a specific group of tribes, shall be transferred to a non-Indian entity or organization under this section unless such action has been approved by the governing body of the tribe, or by the governing bodies of a majority of the tribes, for which such hospital or health facility has been constructed or maintained.
The Secretary of the Interior is also authorized to enter into contracts with any physicians duly licensed by any State or Territory to provide medical attention or services to Indians, and to expend under such contract funds appropriated by Congress for medical attention to Indians.
Any contracts entered into pursuant to this Act shall provide that the standards of services to be rendered to Indians shall not be less than the standards established by the Secretary of the Interior; that the same services shall be rendered to Indian patients as is rendered to other patients and that Indian patients shall not be segregated from other patients.
The Secretary of the Interior is also authorized to make such other regulations as he deems desirable to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Proceeds to be derived under section 1 shall be deposited in the Treasury to the credit of the appropriation from which the hospitalization or medical services are provided, and shall be available for expenditure for the purposes for which the appropriation was made.
Approved, April 3, 1952.
