House Committee Approves Measure That Would Improve Access to Care for American Indians, Native Alaskans

The House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday approved legislation (HR 1328) that would revise and reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, CQ HealthBeat reports. The bill aims to increase access to quality medical care for American Indians and Alaska Natives and would reauthorize the act through fiscal year 2017, according to the committee. The bill would require American Indian health care organizations to help enroll qualified American Indians into Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP. The legislation also includes funding for scholarships, extern programs, continuing education programs and retention bonuses, intended to attract and retain American Indian health professionals, CQ HealthBeat reports. Additional provisions would:

• Make diabetes programs permanent;
  
  
• Provide cancer screenings;
  
  
• Require the Interior Department to establish an American Indian youth program to provide mental and physical disease prevention programs;
  
  
• Authorize funding for assisted living, hospice, long-term care and traditional healing practices;
  
  
• Replace the Urban Health Programs Branch with a division of Urban Health that would continue providing services at urban clinics;
  
  
• Create a behavioral health program that would combine substance abuse, mental health and social services programs;
  
  
• Establish a "Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund" that would provide aid to people affected by disasters or catastrophic illnesses; and
  
  
• Make the director of Indian Health Service position that of an assistant secretary to give the official more control over budget issues (Kroepsch, CQ HealthBeat, 4/26).