The Jan. 20 election of Republican Scott Brown to the Senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy has clouded the future of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, according to Indian Country Today.

Brown ran in part on opposition to current national health care reform proposals, and his election deprived Democrats of what had been a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

The legislation was to be attached to the larger reform effort. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-N.D, has introduced the legislation as a standalone package, but that would mean an uncertain path through the House.

The 21st Navajo Nation Council recently came out in support of reauthorization of the act, which must be reapproved every 10 years. Several Navajo-specific items are included in the legislation, including a uranium study and a Medicaid feasibility study.

According to the National Indian Health Board, "The Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) is the key legal authority for the provision of health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). The IHCIA was originally enacted in 1976 to address the deplorable health conditions in Indian Country. ... Along with the Snyder Act of 1921, the IHCIA forms the statutory basis for the delivery of health care to AI/ANs, by the Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services."

REDW offers expertise in both Tribal Services and Healthcare Services. If you have questions on how your organization may be affected by the pending legislation, please contact us today.