Some Native health programs are seeing increased funding and set-asides in the 2027 appropriations bill; a shortage of medications threatens to worsen the syphilis epidemic in Indian Country; and a clinic on the Blackfeet Nation is under scrutiny for its role in the opioid crisis.
Here is our latest round-up of Health Equity News across Indian Country.
In D.C.
The House Appropriations Committee passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, including $110.767 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services. The committee did not fund the Administration for a Healthy America, President Trump’s proposed new agency that would consolidate the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration. The committee approved increasing funding for the Native American Cancer Outcomes program, Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country Program, and Native Connections, a tribal behavioral health grant. The bill includes tribal set-asides from key programs, including the Innovation for Maternal Health program, the National Health Service Corps, and Zero Suicide.
Connecting with Youth
Sanford Health of Bemidji is hosting a Native Americans with Stethoscopes event, inviting middle and high school-aged students to connect with Native health care professionals to learn about career opportunities in the medical field.
Syphilis Medication Shortage
A shortage of medication that treats syphilis is leaving the medical community concerned that an already steep rise in infections will worsen. Congenital syphilis infections have spiked in recent years, with 2024 seeing 4,000 cases, the highest number in three decades. More than half of the infections were among Native Americans. The disease can cause birth defects and even stillbirth.
Long COVID
A survey revealed that Native people have the highest rates of long COVID, the long-lasting effects of COVID-19, such as fatigue, brain fog, and respiratory and heart issues. Researchers surveyed 20,000 respondents across the U.S. 47 percent of Native respondents reported having COVID-19, and 40 percent reported having long COVID, compared with 30 percent among non-Native adults.
Clinic Openings, Clinic Problems
Starting in winter 2025, a new wellness center in Bozeman, Mont., will serve the area’s Native American community with culturally centered care.
A tribally operated clinic on the Blackfeet Nation is accused of flooding the community with opioids. An investigative reporting team found that in 2023 and 2024, the Southern Piegan Health Clinic in Browning, Mont., prescribed between 200 and 300 patients 35,000 to 40,000 controlled substance prescriptions over a period of one month. Critics say the wanton practices drove addiction, overdose, and deaths on the reservation.
Latest Studies
A new study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that while nearly 95 percent of Native people have skin conditions, dermatology services are only available at 9 percent of tribal clinics and Indian Health Service facilities. Researchers also concluded that Native people travel much longer distances for dermatology care than other demographics.
A recent KFF study showed that American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people are still more likely than other demographics to lack health insurance. While IHS provides health care to Native people at no cost, insurance is crucial to filling in the agency’s massive funding gaps. Also, insurance coverage gives Native people the option to seek care outside the federal system, which has long been plagued by inadequate budgets and extreme shortages in staff and resources.
