Indian Health Care Provisions in H.R. 3962

Roger Walke
Specialist in American Indian Policy

Elayne J. Heisler
Analyst in Health Services

The 111th Congress has devoted considerable effort to health reform that seeks to increase health insurance coverage for more Americans and help control increasing costs while improving quality and patient outcomes. H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, was passed by the House of Representatives on November 7, 2009. H.R. 3962 is based on H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, which was originally introduced on July 14, 2009, and was reported separately on October 14, 2009, by three House Committees—Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means. One major difference between H.R. 3200 and H.R. 3962 is the addition of Division D, "Indian Health Care Improvement," which would reenact, authorize, and amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). Division D differs from much of the other divisions of H.R. 3962 in that it targets a specific population group—American Indians and Alaska Natives, a group that, in general, has lower health status, lower life expectancy, and higher rates of a number of diseases, including diabetes, than the U.S. population as a whole. The goal of the division—to improve the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives—is consistent with the changes proposed in other divisions that also propose to improve health care access and quality, augment the health care workforce, and increase access to mental health services. 

This report summarizes the provisions of Division D of H.R. 3962. The division contains two titles. Title I contains three sections (3101-3103), of which Section 3101(a) would replace current IHCIA language with new language that would reenact, amend, and reauthorize all eight titles of IHCIA. Section 3101(a) contains IHCIA's general provisions and its eight titles: (1) Indian health workforce, (2) health services, (3) health care and sanitation facilities, (4) access to federal reimbursements, (5) health services for urban Indians, (6) Indian Health Service (IHS) organizational improvements, (7) behavioral health programs, and (8) miscellaneous. Sections 3101(b) and (c) would make technical corrections to other federal law as necessitated by IHCIA Section 601's creation of a new Assistant Secretary for Indian Health. Sections 3102 and 3103 would make changes to Indian programs not in IHCIA. Title II of Division D contains five sections (Sections 3201-3205), three of which amend the Social Security Act (SSA) as related to American Indians and Alaska Natives. None of these sections amend IHCIA.


Date of Report: March 19, 2010
Number of Pages: 51
Order Number: R40902
Price: $29.95

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