NCAI
Jun 9, 2025

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


June 9, 2025

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.

We provide the independent reporting that non-Native, extractive outlets often overlook. We give our communities the context and the facts they need to make informed decisions.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we exist to illuminate tribal government decision-making for everyone who cares about transparency about Native issues. Because the consequences of restricted press freedom affect our communities every day, our trauma-informed reporting is rooted in a deep, firsthand expertise. Every gift helps keep the fire burning. A monthly contribution makes the biggest impact.