HHS reaffirms trust and treaty obligations for Indian healthcare

February 27, 2025

The Department of Health and Human Services has issued an Advisory Opinion (25-01) confirming that recent Executive Orders do not alter the Department’s legal responsibility to provide healthcare to American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes. The opinion emphasizes that trust and treaty obligations remain intact despite the impact of the EOs (EO 14151; EO 14168; EO 14173). The National Indian Health Board supports this stance, urging continued protection of Tribal Nations' political status. The HHS Advisory Opinion follows the Department of Interior’s alignment with these protections.

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