Health Equity Round-Up (Feb. 17, 2025)

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By Elyse Wild and Kaili Berg

February 17, 2025

Here is our weekly round-up of Health Equity News.

IHS Staff Shake-Up

The Indian Health Service was the target of another wave of mass federal layoffs last week. Amid reports that the firings would reduce the IHS by 850 staffers, the top executive of a National Health organization confirmed to Native News Online that the actual number of employees set to be terminated was nearly three times that much, between 2,000 and 2,500.  The announcement sent panic through Indian Country and prompted a united response from Native health groups.  In a letter to Acting Director of OPM Charles Ezell, the NIHB, National Council of Urban Indian Health, National Indian Child Welfare Association and more than a dozen other organizations urged the federal government to exempt employees who are essential to fulfilling trust and treaty obligations the United States has to tribal nations. 

By early evening, the layoffs affecting IHS employees were rescinded. 

RFK Confirmed

The U.S. Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday, Feb. 13, with a 52-48 vote. Kennedy has expressed that he intends to address understaffing at IHS and enhance access to healthcare for Native communities. While his nomination drew ire from both sides of the aisle due to his history of vaccine hesitancy, tribal nations, and health organizations are hopeful he will fulfill his promises. 

Urban Indian Health at Risk: Federal Funding Disruptions Threaten Critical Services

On Feb. 12, the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) released a comprehensive report warning that federal funding disruptions threaten critical healthcare services for urban Native populations. 

Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs), which provide essential medical and behavioral health services, are at risk of closure, with over half unable to operate beyond six months without federal funds.

Many anticipate halting services such as primary care, mental health support, and substance abuse treatment. 

The report also stresses the need for uninterrupted funding to maintain healthcare access for American Indians and Alaska Natives in urban areas. NCUIH urges policymakers to uphold federal trust responsibilities and prevent further harm to these communities. 

Native Communities Would See Big Impacts from Proposed Medicaid Cuts

A recent report warns that proposed federal Medicaid cuts would have devastating effects on Native American communities, where many rely on the program for essential healthcare services.

The study, published by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, outlines how these funding reductions could limit access to primary care, behavioral health, and other critical medical services for American Indians and Alaska Natives. 

According to the report, Native populations have a higher reliance on Medicaid compared to other groups due to historical underfunding of the Indian Health Service (IHS). 

Medicaid provides a crucial revenue stream for tribal and urban Indian health programs, supplementing IHS funding to ensure continued patient care. If these cuts progress, they could force health facilities to reduce services, lay off staff, or even close. 

The report emphasizes that Medicaid funding is a key component of the federal trust responsibility to provide healthcare for Native communities. Advocacy groups and tribal leaders are calling on policymakers to reject these cuts, warning that they could have life-threatening consequences for Indigenous populations who already face significant barriers to healthcare access.

Las Vegas Paiute Tribe Opens Wellness Center to Serve Native Americans

The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe opened a new wellness center in downtown Las Vegas to provide healthcare services to Native Americans. 

Located on Paiute Circle near Main and Washington, the facility is designed to improve access to medical, behavioral health, and wellness services for Indigneous communities. 

The wellness center is part of the tribe’s ongoing efforts to address healthcare disparities affecting Native populations. It offers a range of services, including primary care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, and wellness programs tailored to the needs of Native patients. 

IHS Tribal Self-Governance Program Funding

The IHS Office of Tribal Self-Governance (OTSG) is offering funding opportunities to assist tribes and tribal Organizations in joining the Tribal Self-Governance Program (TSGP). 

These grants provide financial support for both planning and negotiation efforts, enabling Tribes to assume control over their healthcare services.

The Planning Cooperative Agreement offers up to $180,000 to help tribes conduct research, prepare budgets, and organize governance structures before entering self-governance. The Negotiation Cooperative Agreement provides up to $84,000 to support tribes in negotiating Self-Governance Compacts with IHS.

Eligible applicants include tribes, tribal organizations, and inter-tribal consortia. Applications are due by Feb. 19, 2025, and must be submitted through Grants.gov.

Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Grants

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is offering grants through the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. 

These grants aim to support federally recognized Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations in implementing high-quality, culturally grounded, evidence-based home-visiting services for American Indian and Alaska Native families with young children. 

The program’s goals include improving maternal and child health, enhancing parenting practices, and promoting school readiness. Applications are due by Mar. 17, 2025, and can be submitted via Grants.gov.