Treatment Your Tribe's PRC Office May Pay For
Thundermaker Wellness Center is an approved Indian Health Service Purchased/Referred Care vendor for the Nashville Area. If you are an enrolled member of one of the tribes served by the Lockport, Mashpee, or Mid-Atlantic Service Units, your PRC office may authorize and pay for your treatment here in Prescott, Arizona.
Most people have never heard of PRC until someone tells them it might cover treatment. Our admissions team works with PRC offices every week, and we will walk through it with you and your office from the first phone call to the day you arrive.
Where would you like to start?
Why Purchased/Referred Care Matters
Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) is an Indian Health Service program that offers assistance with medical, dental, and behavioral health care by contracting with non-IHS providers when IHS is unable to offer those services. Addiction treatment services are among the services it can cover.
PRC is used when IHS is unable to offer those services at their facilities. Requests are ranked by medical need, and other coverage such as Medicaid is used first.
Your service unit can check your eligibility in one call. Thundermaker is a confirmed IHS PRC provider, and we are a Native owned and operated center that integrates culture and ceremony into treatment: sweat lodge, drum, food sovereignty, and clinical care led by Native staff. That is the care the IHS mission describes, raising the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of Native people to the highest level.
At Thundermaker Wellness Center, every person who reaches out is welcomed as a relative.
Learn more from IHS
Find Your PRC Office
Every PRC-paid stay begins with the office that serves your tribe. Choose your tribe below and we will show you who to call. If you would rather talk to a person first, call us and we will figure it out together. There is no cost and no obligation, and our phones are answered around the clock.
Download the PRC referral checklist (PDF)
New to all of this? Read our guide to how IHS Purchased/Referred Care pays for addiction treatment.
PRC Offices That Can Refer to Thundermaker
Six federal IHS service unit offices in the Nashville Area authorize PRC payment for the tribes we serve. Thundermaker works directly with these federal service units. Start with the office that serves your tribe.
New York
Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 4:30 ET
Call to confirm hours
Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 6:00, Friday 8:30 to 4:00
Massachusetts
Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 4:30
Virginia
Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 4:30
Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 4:30
How It Works
Purchased/Referred Care has its own rules, and we have learned them by doing this with PRC offices. You make the first call to your service unit. We help carry the rest.
- Contact your service unit and request ThundermakerCall the PRC office that serves your tribe, ask for the PRC coordinator, and tell them you are requesting treatment at Thundermaker Wellness Center in Prescott, Arizona. Send them your enrollment, address, and insurance documents.
- Call usOne conversation at (928) 531-1930 confirms the program is a good fit. We work with your PRC office on the authorization so you are not the one chasing paperwork.
- You come to PrescottWe schedule your admission, help plan travel, and bill PRC directly. When you arrive, the focus is on you and your healing.
The mistake that costs people the most is starting treatment before the PRC office knows about it. If there is an emergency, get care first, then make sure the office is notified within 72 hours (30 days if you are 65 or older or have a disability).
For the full set of rules, read our guide to how IHS Purchased/Referred Care pays for addiction treatment.
Who You Will Be Working With
- Native owned and operated, with culture and ceremony integrated into treatment
- Featured on the front page of Hocak Worak, the Ho-Chunk Nation newspaper (opens in new tab), September 2026
- Approved IHS PRC vendor for the Nashville Area
- NPI 1821896051, licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services
- ADOT-recognized DUI program
For Federally or Tribally Operated IHS Programs Interested in Working With Us
If you are a federally or tribally operated IHS program interested in Thundermaker for a client, here is how to start. Thundermaker is a confirmed IHS PRC provider for the Lockport, Mashpee, and Mid-Atlantic Service Units, and we work the way your PRC office works.
What you can expect from us
- A live admissions coordinator calls your PRC office back within one business hour.
- One contact who handles the authorization paperwork with your office. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day.
- Clinical documentation for medical priority review, plus any forms your service unit requires.
- With the client's consent, updates to the referring case manager at intake, mid-treatment, and discharge, and discharge planning coordinated with your tribal health or social services staff.
Who we serve
Adults seeking treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, including clients referred by tribal courts, case managers, and IHS behavioral health providers. Ask about our ADOT-recognized DUI program and our cultural programs.
Please do the following
- Contact us with the basicsCall (928) 531-1930 or email admissions@thundermakerwellness.com with the client's tribe, service unit, and situation. We will tell you the same day whether we are a fit and what your PRC office will need.
- Send the referral packetReferral form, case manager agreement, and the client's documents, by email or fax to (928) 441-1933. We prepare the clinical documentation for medical priority review.
- Issue the authorizationOnce your PRC office authorizes the referral, we coordinate the admission date and travel and bill PRC directly. You receive updates at intake, mid-treatment, and discharge, with the client's consent.
Referral packet
- Referral formPDF, 2 pages. Client, referrer, and PRC office details.Download
- Case manager agreementPDF, 1 page. How we share updates and coordinate discharge.Download
- Program overviewPDF, 1 page. Programs, cultural services, NPI, license, and vendor details.Download
- PRC referral checklistPDF, 1 page. What the PRC office will ask for.Download
Send completed forms to admissions@thundermakerwellness.com or fax (928) 441-1933. Referral professionals can also call admissions directly at (928) 531-1930 and ask for Jeri.
Tribes Whose Members May Be Covered
Enrolled members of these federally recognized tribes are served through the Nashville Area service units listed above. Vendor status means Thundermaker can accept PRC referrals. Eligibility and authorization for each person are decided by their PRC office.
- Chickahominy Indian Tribe
- Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
- Monacan Indian Nation
- Nansemond Indian Nation
- Onondaga Nation
- Pamunkey Indian Tribe
- Rappahannock Tribe
- Shinnecock Indian Nation
- Tonawanda Band of Seneca
- Tuscarora Nation
- Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe
Questions About PRC Coverage
What is IHS Purchased/Referred Care (PRC)?
Purchased/Referred Care is an Indian Health Service program that pays for health care services, including addiction treatment, provided by approved outside vendors when those services are not available at an IHS facility. Coverage decisions are made by the PRC office at your service unit, and requests are ranked using the IHS medical priority levels (opens in new tab).
Is Thundermaker Wellness Center an approved PRC vendor?
Yes. Thundermaker is an approved PRC vendor for the Indian Health Service Nashville Area, which includes the Lockport Service Unit, the Mashpee Service Unit, and the Mid-Atlantic Service Unit.
Which IHS office do I call to get a PRC referral to Thundermaker?
Call the PRC office for your tribe. Lockport IHS Health Center (716-280-3856) serves Tonawanda Band of Seneca and Tuscarora Nation. Onondaga PRC (315-682-3167) serves Onondaga Nation. Shinnecock PRC (631-283-1440) serves Shinnecock Indian Nation. Mashpee Wampanoag Health Service Unit (508-477-6967) serves Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Mid-Atlantic Tribal Health Center (804-622-0011) serves Chickahominy, Nansemond, Pamunkey, Rappahannock, and Upper Mattaponi. Monacan Health Center (434-895-6672) serves Monacan Indian Nation.
Do I need approval before I go to Thundermaker if I want PRC to pay?
Yes. IHS requires prior authorization from your PRC office before care is paid for. PRC is the payer of last resort, so any Medicaid, Medicare, or other insurance you have must be used first. In an emergency, your PRC office must be notified within 72 hours of the start of care (30 days if you are 65 or older or disabled).
Does being a PRC vendor guarantee my treatment will be covered?
No. Vendor status means Thundermaker can accept PRC referrals and bill PRC for approved care. Eligibility and authorization are decided by the PRC office at your service unit. Our admissions team can help you and your office coordinate.
How do I get started?
Contact the PRC office at your service unit and request treatment at Thundermaker Wellness Center. Then call us at (928) 531-1930 or email admissions@thundermakerwellness.com. Service unit staff and PRC officers are welcome to contact us directly to discuss a referral.
Ready When You Are
One call starts the process. Families, PRC officers, case managers, and service unit staff can reach us 24 hours a day at admissions@thundermakerwellness.com or by phone.