Families First Coronavirus Response Act includes $64 Million for Indian Health Service

On March 18, 2020, H.R. 6201 The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Act) was signed into law. The legislation allocates $64 million to the Indian Health Service to cover the costs of COVID-19 diagnostic testing for Indians receiving care through the Indian Health Service or through an Urban Indian Health Organization. The Act also guarantees coverage of testing for COVID-19 at no cost sharing for Indians receiving contract health services. In addition, the legislation includes $250 million for the Senior Nutrition program in the Administration for Community Living (ACL). This will provide approximately 25 million additional home-delivered and pre-packaged meals to low-income seniors who depend on the Senior Nutrition programs in their communities.

Currently, Congress is working on a third relief package that is expected to pass soon. The package is expected to provide $1.2 trillion in relief to individuals, governments, and industries. The tribal and urban Indian priorities in this package focus on healthcare, health system capacity, economic development, and governance.