NCUIH Joins National Native Organizations in COVID-19 Legislative Request
(April 20, 2020) – Last week, NCUIH along with a coalition of National Native Organizations sent a letter to Members of both chambers of Congress outlining a joint COIVD-19 recovery legislative proposal for health, education, nutrition, and human services.
NCUIH, along with the National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Health Board, Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium, National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations, Native Farm Bill Coalition, Intertribal Agriculture Council, National Indian Education Association, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, National Indian Child Welfare Association, and United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund, sent the legislative priorities as Congress negotiates the fourth major legislative package on coronavirus.
The proposal included, among other essential proposals, requests for Congress to:
- Provide sufficient appropriations to IHS for Indian Health Care Providers as they face the pandemic on the frontlines, including:
- Provide $1 billion for Purchased/Referred Care (PRC).
- Provide $1.215 billion for Hospitals and Health Clinics.
- Establish a $1.7 billion Emergency Third-Party Reimbursement Relief Fund for IHS, Tribal Programs, and Urban Indian Organizations.
- Provide $85 million for equipment purchases and replacements.
- Provide $161 million for Urban Indian Health.
- Provide $1 billion for Sanitation Facilities Construction.
- Provide $750 million for maintenance and improvement of Indian Health Service and Tribal facilities.
- Authorize technical Medicaid and Medicare fixes including 100% FMAP for services provided at UIO facilities and technical amendments including Tribal and UIO access to the Strategic National Stockpile.
- Clarify that the VA is authorized to reimburse UIOs for services provided to Native Veterans.