42 U.S.C. § 254g — Charges for services by entities using Corps members

(a) Availability of services regardless of ability to pay or payment source. An entity to which a Corps member is assigned may not deny requested health care services, and may not discriminate in providing services to an individual, (1) because the individual cannot pay for the services, or (2) because payment would be made under (A) the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, (B) the Medicaid program under title XIX of that Act, or (C) the State children's health insurance program under title XXI of that Act. (b) Charges for services. These rules apply to charges for health care services given by an entity to which a Corps member is assigned: (1) In general. (A) Schedule of fees or payments. Except as (2) provides, the entity must prepare a schedule of fees or payments for its services, consistent with locally prevailing rates or charges and designed to cover the entity's reasonable cost of operation. (B) Schedule of discounts. Except as (2) provides, the entity must also prepare a corresponding schedule of discounts, including waivers in appropriate cases, adjusted based on a patient's ability to pay. (C) Use of schedules. The entity must make every reasonable effort to collect fees and payments from patients under these schedules, and fees or payments must be sufficiently discounted according to the (B) schedule. (2) Services to beneficiaries of Federal and federally assisted programs. For health care given to an individual who is a beneficiary of a program listed in (a)(2), the entity (A) must accept assignment under section 1842(b)(3)(B)(ii) of the Social Security Act for an individual who is a Medicare beneficiary; and (B) must enter into an appropriate agreement with (i) the State agency administering the Medicaid program, for an individual who is a Medicaid beneficiary, and (ii) the State agency administering the State children's health insurance program, for an individual who is a beneficiary of that program. (3) Collection of payments. The entity must take reasonable and appropriate steps to collect all payments due for the health care services it provides, including payments from any third party — including a Federal, State, or local government agency and any other third party — responsible for part or all of the charge for those services.