What is the Indian Health Care Improvement Act?

The Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) is a law designed to improve the health care services available to Native Americans in Utah and across the United States. The IHCIA was passed in 1976 and is administered by the Indian Health Service, a part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The IHCIA is a law meant to increase access to comprehensive health care for all American Indians and Alaska Natives living in the U.S. It expands the existing Health Services Program which provides health care to all members of federally recognized tribes. The IHCIA also gives tribes more control over their health care services and gives the Indian Health Service the flexibility to adjust to changing needs. The IHCIA also sets standards for Indian health care and allocates resources to meet those standards. This includes qualifications for health care professionals, quality standards for health care services, and funding for health care facilities to improve patient care. To accomplish these goals, the IHCIA directs more funds to health care services for Native Americans, authorizes grants for health care professionals, and provides grants to construct and renovate health care facilities. In addition to increasing access to health services, the IHCIA aims to foster tribal self-determination by providing tribes with the resources and the authority to take an active role in providing health care to its members. This includes developing health care policies tailored to meet the needs of tribal members, increasing the number of qualified health professionals, and providing status reports to ensure that health care goals are being met. Overall, the IHCIA is an important law that helps ensure that all Native Americans in the United States have access to quality health care services. It helps to bridge the gap between the health care services available to Native Americans and those available to other Americans.

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