Health care reform makes Indian Health Care Improvement Act permanent

The impact of health care reform on Native Americans is being widely praised by Indian advocacy groups, primarily because it includes the re-authorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). The National Indian Health Board claimed "victory" and Montana Sen. Jon Tester told Indian Country Today, "The law will modernize health service delivery in Indian country, improve access to quality care, and fulfill the government’s trust responsibility to provide adequate health care."

Activists have been trying since the 1976 inception of the IHCIA to permanently reauthorize the act, which expired in 2000.  According to the Department of Health and Human Services, improvements to Indian health care will include:

• Authorization for hospice, assisted living, long-term, and home- and community-based care.
• Ability to recover costs from third parties to tribally operated facilities.
• Establishment of a Community Health Representative program for urban Indian organizations to train and employ Indians to provide health care services.
• A requirement that the Indian Health Service establish comprehensive behavioral health, prevention, and treatment programs for Indians.