Tribal leaders rally to protect Native health programs
At the NCAI Health Subcommittee meeting, delegates passed six resolutions aimed at safeguarding tribal healthcare funding and representation
Amid looming budget cuts and federal restructuring, Native health experts and legal advocates worked line by line to finalize and pass six key health resolutions on Monday at the NCAI Mid Year Conference. The measures were adopted with unanimous support in a session that blended urgency with deep policy expertise.
The resolutions call for preserving Indian Health Service funding, protecting Medicaid access for American Indians and Alaska Natives, and elevating the IHS director to Assistant Secretary status within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Leaders also pushed back on proposed cuts to critical HHS programs and reaffirmed the need for tribal consultation in agency reforms.