Reports on the Indian Health Service and New Legislation

The article in Sunday's Missoulian talks about a recent General Accountability Office (GAO) report on the Indian Health Service: "Indian Health Service: Health Care Services Are Not Always Available to Native Americans."

Other reports by the GAO may also be informative:

Indian Health Service: Basic Services Mostly Available; Substance Abuse Problems Need Attention

Indian Health Service: Contracting for Health Services Under the Indian Self-Determination Act

Indian Health Service: Efforts to Recruit Health Care Professionals

Indian Health Service: Improvements Needed in Credentialing Temporary Physicians

Indian Self-Determination Contracting: Effects of Individual Community Contracting for Health Services in Alaska

The article also talks about the new legislation introduced this year to revise and amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, S. 1057. You can track the status of the bill using THOMAS. The Indian Health Service also has a website on the reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

The Indian Health Care Improvement Act was initially passed in 1976, and it has been amended periodically, including in 1992, 1996, and 2000. Some of the testimony from the hearings held in association with the 2000 amendment process are available on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs website (March 8, 2000, May 10, 2000, and July 26, 2000). The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board has a good legislative history of the act available on its website.

Source: "Health agency for Indians needs reform." Missoulian October 23, 2005. B1.