Senate Hearing on 2019 Indian Health Service Budget

• •The proposed 2019 budget for the Indian Health Service is $5.4 billion, a 2% decrease ($114 million) from the previous year.
• •The budget proposes cutting facilities construction funding by 42%, from $867 million to $506 million.
• •The estimated backlog for facilities construction across Indian Country is $14.5 billion.
• •The budget proposes moving the $150 million Special Diabetes Program from mandatory to discretionary spending.
• •American Indians and Alaska Natives had the highest drug overdose death rates in the U.S. from 2008 to 2015.
• •Drug overdose deaths among American Indians and Alaska Natives increased by 519% between 1999 and 2015.
• •The IHS budget includes $150 million for opioid treatment, contingent on a broader $10 billion HHS request.
• •The subcommittee previously doubled funding for accreditation emergencies from $29 million to $58 million.
• •The subcommittee provided $11.5 million for staff housing to assist with recruitment in remote areas.
• •The subcommittee granted new authority for direct housing subsidies for medical personnel.

The proposed budget impacts the funding levels for healthcare services provided to American Indians and Alaska Natives, including a $114 million decrease from the previous year and a 42% reduction in facility construction funds.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.