Action Alert: Save Native Lives – Contact Congress Today to Take Action

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The National Council of Urban Indian Health is advocating tirelessly to Congress to ensure advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS).

We need your help again contacting Congress to support securing advance appropriations and mandatory funding for IHS. The Indian health system, including IHS, Tribal facilities, and urban Indian organizations (UIOs), is the only major federal health care provider funded through annual appropriations.

If IHS were to receive advance appropriations, it would ensure continuity of care for American Indians and Alaska Natives and complement President Biden’s budget request to honor commitments to Tribal nations and communities. In fact, Native communities have experienced deaths due to government shutdowns in the past and according to a recent study, Native Americans experienced the biggest drop in life expectancy— decreasing by 6.6 years between 2019-2021. The lives of Native people should not be subject to politics. We need this to protect Native people and preserve access to health care.

We urge you to contact your Member of Congress and request that they support including advance appropriations for IHS in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 final spending package. You can use the text below as a template to call and/or email your Members of Congress.

Thank you for your leadership. Your outreach on this is invaluable to providing greater access to health care for all American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Sincerely,

The National Council of Urban Indian Health

• NCUIH Advance Appropriations Website
• IHS Advance Appropriations Infographic

STEPS TO CONTACT CONGRESS

• Step 1:Copy the email below.
• Step 2: Find your Representative here and your Senator here.
• Step 3:Paste the email into the form on your Member of Congress’ contact page and send. Please contact Meredith Raimondi (policy@ncuih.org) with questions.

Email to Your Representative and Senators

Dear [Member of Congress],

As an Indian health advocate, I respectfully request you ensure the inclusion of advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS) in the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 final spending package until mandatory funding for the agency can be achieved.

The Indian health system, including IHS, Tribal facilities, and urban Indian organizations (UIOs), is the only major federal health care provider funded through annual appropriations. If IHS were to receive advance appropriations, it would not be subject to government shutdowns and continuing resolutions as its funding for the next year would already be in place. We need this to protect Native lives!

I respectfully ask that you honor the federal trust obligation to American Indians and Alaska Natives by ensuring advance appropriations for IHS can finally be made a reality this year.

Thank you for your leadership and your commitment to upholding the United States trust responsibility.

Sincerely,

[contact information]

POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Use this graphic to call on your Member of Congress to take action!