NCUIH 2024 Policy Priorities Released

The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) is pleased to announce the release of its 2024 Policy Priorities document, which outlines a summary of urban Indian organization (UIO) priorities for the Executive and Legislative branches of the government for 2024. These priorities were informed by NCUIH’s 2023 Policy Assessment.

NCUIH hosted five focus groups to identify UIO policy priorities for 2024, as they relate to Indian Health Service (IHS)- designated facility types (full ambulatory, limited ambulatory, outreach and referral, and outpatient and residential). NCUIH worked with UIOs to identify policy priorities in 2024 under eight themes: full funding for native health initiatives, elevating native voices and fostering dialogue, building health equity, honoring promises to native veterans, embracing traditional healing and behavioral wellness, healing generational trauma and protecting native lives, addressing workforce recruitment and retention challenges, and improving the Indian Health Service.

Read the 2024 Policy Priorities

2024 Policy Priorities:

FULL FUNDING FOR NATIVE HEALTH INIATIVES

Fully Fund the Indian Health Service (IHS) and Urban Indian Health at the Amounts Requested by Tribes

Support the Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup Request of $53.85 billion for IHS and $965.25 million for the Urban Indian Line Item for FY 2025.
Support Participation and Continued Inclusion of Urban Indian Organizations in the IHS Budget Formulation Process.

Protect Funding for Native Health from Political Disagreements

Maintain Advance Appropriations for the Indian Health Service to Insulate the Indian Health System from Government Shutdowns and to Protect Patient Lives.
Transition the Indian Health Service from Discretionary to Mandatory Appropriations.

Meeting the Trust Obligations for IHS-Medicaid Beneficiaries Receiving Services at Urban Indian Organizations

Enact the Urban Indian Health Act (H.R. 6533) to Ensure Permanent Full (100%) Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Services Provided at UIOs (100% FMAP for UIOs).

Supporting Native Communities

Support Native Communities by Passing the Honoring Promises to Native Nations Act.

ELEVATING NATIVE VOICES AND FOSTERING DIALOGUE

“Nothing About Us Without Us”: Improving Health Outcomes Through Dialogue

Increase the Department of Health and Human Services Engagement with Urban Indian Organizations through Urban Confer Policies.
Establish an Urban Confer Policy at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Better Serve Urban Native Populations by Establishing an Urban Indian Organization Interagency Workgroup.

Make All Native Voices Heard: Ensuring Equitable Access to Voting

Protect and Expand Access to Voting by Reintroducing the Native American Voting Rights Act.

Inclusion of Urban Native Communities in Resource Allocation

Ensure Critical Resource and Funding Opportunities are Inclusive of Urban Native Communities and the Urban Indian Organizations that Help Serve Them.

Continuity in Urban Indian Organization Support from the Indian Health System

Improve Area Office Communication and Consistency.

BUILDING HEALTH EQUITY: ADDRESSING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Improving Native Maternal and Infant Health

Strengthen the Ability of the Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality to Address Native Maternal and Infant Health.
Increase the Federal Engagement with Urban Indian Organizations through Urban Confer on the Provision of Health Care to Native Mothers and Infants.
Ensure Critical Investments in Native Maternal Health by Passing the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (H.R. 3305/S.1606).

Addressing the Housing Crisis for Urban Natives

Improve Funding Access for Urban Indian Organizations to Expand Housing Services.

Improving Food Security for Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives

Increase Access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Resources and Funding Opportunities for Urban American Indians and Alaska Native Communities and the Urban Indian Organizations that Serve Them.
Increase Urban Indian Organization Access to Fresh and Traditional Foods Through Increased Funding for the Indian Health Service Produce Prescription Pilot Program.

Tackling the Stigma and Advancing HIV Support Efforts in Native Communities

Increase Innovative Resources to Reduce Stigma Around HIV in Native Communities.

Permanently Reauthorize and Increase Funding for the Special Diabetes Program for Indian (SDPI) at a Minimum of $250 Million Annually

HONORING THE PROMISES TO NATIVE VETERANS

Improving American Indian and Alaska Native Veteran Health Outcomes

Support the Unique Health Care Needs of Native Veterans by Passing the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act (H.R. 542/S. 141).
Engage with Urban Indian Organizations to Successfully Implement the Interagency Initiative to Address Homelessness for Urban American Indians and Alaska Native Veterans.
Increase Urban American Indians and Alaska Native Access to the Department of Veterans Affairs Resources that Address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).

REVITALIZING NATIVE HEALTH: EMBRACING TRADITIONAL HEALING AND BEHAVIORAL WELLNESS

Improving Behavioral Health for All American Indians and Alaska Natives

Increase Funding for Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Resources for American Indian and Alaska Native People.
Respond to the Significant Increase in Overdose Deaths in Indian Country.

Improving Health Outcomes Through Traditional Healing and Culturally Based Practices

Improve Funding Access for Urban Indian Organizations to Expand Traditional Healing and Culturally Based Practices.

“NOT ONE MORE”: HEALING GENERATIONAL TRAUMA AND PROTECTING NATIVE LIVES

Healing from Federal Boarding Schools

Support Federal Initiatives to Allow the Indian Health Service to Support Healing from Boarding School Policies.
Study and Incorporate Findings of the Public Health Impact of Indian Boarding Schools on Urban American Indian and Alaska Native People Today.

Ending the Epidemic of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP)

Pass the Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act (H.R. 1292/S. 465).
Honor Executive Order 14053: Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People by Including Urban Indian Organizations in Prevention and Intervention Efforts.

ADDRESSING WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION CHALLENGES

Improving the Indian Health Workforce

Inclusion of Urban Indian Organizations in National Community Health Aide Program (CHAP).
Improve the Indian Health Workforce Through the Placement of Residents at Urban Indian Organizations through the Department of Veterans Affairs Pilot Program on Graduate Medical Education and Residency Program (PPGMER).
Enable Urban Indian Organizations to Fill Critical Workforce Needs through University Partnerships by Passing the Medical Student Education Authorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 3046/S. 1403).
Extend Federal Health Benefits to Urban Indian Organizations.
Improve Recruitment and Retention of Physicians at Urban Indian Organizations by Passing the IHS Workforce Parity Act (S. 3022).
Increase Tax Fairness for Loan Repayment for Urban Indian Organization Staff by Reintroducing the Indian Health Service Health Professions Tax Fairness Act.
Permit U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Officers to be Detailed to Urban Indian Organizations.

IMPROVING THE INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE

Data is Dollars: Improving Data in Indian Health

Improve Reporting for Urban Indian Organization Data.

Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Patient Care by Advancing Health Information Technology

Improve Health Information Technology, Including Electronic Health Records Systems.

Elevate the Health Care Needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives Within the Federal Government

Pass the Stronger Engagement for Indian Health Needs Act (H.R. 2535) to elevate the IHS Director to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health.