IHS Awards Four Grants for Self-Governance Planning and Negotiation Activities

Today, the Indian Health Service is announcing the recipients for the Fiscal Year 2021 Tribal Self-Governance Planning and Negotiation Cooperative Agreements administered by the Office of Tribal Self-Governance.

These annual IHS cooperative agreement awards support tribes and tribal organizations with the planning and preparation necessary to assume responsibility for providing health care to their tribal members through the Tribal Self-Governance Program. Four applications were awarded, including three negotiation awards and one planning award. The total amount of awards for FY 2021 is $235,721.

“The Indian Health Service is pleased to announce these awards that emphasize our commitment to tribal self-governance,” said IHS Acting Director Elizabeth Fowler. “We continue to work with tribes interested in entering self-governance compacts in order to support the shared goal of providing quality health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives.”

Planning Cooperative Agreement

The Planning Cooperative Agreement assists tribes with the planning phase of the Tribal Self-Governance Program, which includes legal and budgetary research, internal tribal government planning, and organization preparation relating to the administration of health care programs.

Negotiation Cooperative Agreement

The Negotiation Cooperative Agreement assists tribes to defray the costs related to preparing for and conducting Tribal Self-Governance Program negotiations. Negotiations provide an opportunity for the tribal and federal negotiation teams to work together in good faith to enhance each self-governance agreement.

The Tribal Self-Governance Program is an expression of the nation-to-nation relationship between the U.S. and the tribes. Strong federal-tribal partnerships are critical to the program’s success. Through the program, tribes have the option to assume IHS program funds and manage them to best fit the health care needs of their tribal communities.

The IHS Office of Tribal Self-Governance serves as the primary liaison and advocate for tribes participating in the Tribal Self-Governance Program. The office develops and oversees the implementation of tribal self-governance legislation and authorities within the IHS. They also provide information, technical assistance, and policy coordination in support of IHS self-governance activities, with input from IHS staff and workgroups, tribes and tribal organizations, and the IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee.

The IHS, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov , provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 574 federally recognized tribes in 37 states. Follow the agency via social media on Facebook Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov ,Twitter Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  and LinkedIn Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov .