POLICY PRIORITIES

Upholding the Trust Responsibility to All American Indians and Alaska Natives

FULL FUNDING FOR NATIVE HEALTH INITIATIVES

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 Obligation for IHS-Medicaid Beneficiaries Receiving Services at Urban Indian Organizations

• Enact the Urban Indian Health Parity 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 Indians (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.

Accurately Account for Provider Shortages

• Engage with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) so that Urban Indian Organizations Receive Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Scores that Accurately Reflect the Level of Provider Shortage for Urban Indian Organization Service Areas.

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.