Statement from IHS Director Roselyn Tso on the Supreme Court ruling regarding contract support costs

The U.S. Supreme Court released a decision on June 6, 2024, that requires the Indian Health Service to pay contract support costs on portions of tribal health programs funded with third-party revenue, such as Medicare and Medicaid expenditures.

The IHS has been preparing for this possibility in order to ensure the transition to new CSC-related systems will cause minimal disruption to those we serve. In recognition of the potential budgetary impact of this decision, we urge Congress to act on the FY 2025 President’s Budget proposal to shift the IHS budget from discretionary to mandatory funding starting in FY 2026 to protect the overall appropriation for the Indian Health Service and create more adequate and stable funding into the future.

The agency remains firmly committed to executing our obligations under federal law and supporting tribal self-determination and sovereignty. We look forward to working in partnership with tribal nations in the future. I encourage you to visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website in the coming days for more information on the decision.

In response to the Court’s decision, I am pointing you to Secretary Becerra’s statement. I want to thank our federal, tribal, and urban Indian organization partners for your ongoing cooperation and extend my appreciation for your continued commitment to raising the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives all across Indian Country.