2020 Letters
December 29, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to initiate Tribal Consultation on the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021. [PDF - 190 KB]December 17, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to follow-up on the November 2, 2020, letter, which initiated Tribal Consultation on Indian Health Service contracting policy and procedures associated with implementing the Buy Indian Act of 1910 at 25 U.S.C. § 47. [PDF - 176 KB]December 10, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide an update and invite input on next steps for health information technology modernization at the Indian Health Service. [PDF - 331 KB]December 2, 2020
The Director and the Veterans Health Administration Executive in Charge write to Tribal Leaders to initiate a joint Tribal Consultation to seek input on a draft revised Memorandum of Understanding between the VHA and the IHS. [PDF - 92 KB]- Enclosure - Draft Revised VA-IHS Memorandum of Understanding [PDF - 159 KB]
November 18, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to issue the Indian Health Service COVID-19 Pandemic Vaccine Plan. [PDF - 167 KB]November 6, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to provide an update on Indian Health Service COVID-19 vaccination planning efforts. [PDF - 20]- IHS Area Vaccine Point of Contact [PDF - 17 KB]
- CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Tribal Health Program Agreement – Vaccines Coordinated through IHS [PDF - 254 KB]
November 2, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to initiate the first of a series of Tribal Consultations in conjunction with updates to Indian Health Service contracting policy and procedures associated with implementing the Buy Indian Act of 1910. [PDF - 441 KB]- Enclosure: IHS Framing Paper on The Buy Indian Act [PDF - 235 KB]
October 29, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide clarification on COVID-19 vaccination of non-beneficiaries. [PDF - 303 KB]October 23, 2020
The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide an update on short-term continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2021 that affect Tribal Health Programs with performance periods starting within the current continuing resolution period for October 1, 2020 through December 11, 2020. [PDF - 269 KB]October 14, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to announce the new solicitation for the fiscal year 2020 Indian Health Service Small Ambulatory Program. The deadline for submitting applications is February 1, 2021. [PDF - 64 KB]October 14, 2020
The Director notifies Tribal Leaders about a comment period, open through October 21, to request input on the Indian Health Service COVID-19 Pandemic Vaccine Draft Plan. [PDF - 168 KB]October 4, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to inform them that the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration recently amended the national IHS-VA VHA Reimbursement Agreement, which effects direct health care services to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans at 74 IHS facilities. [PDF - 178 KB]September 25, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to share an "Early Alert" issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General that identifies a vulnerability that compromises the safety and well-being of Indian children who receive treatment at Tribal health programs operated under Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act agreements with the Indian Health Service. [PDF - 184 KB]September 21, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to initiate Tribal Consultation on the use of $5 million from the fiscal year 2020 appropriations that the Indian Health Service has allotted to support national Community Health Aide Program expansion. [PDF - 564 KB]September 16, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide updates regarding the Indian Health Service Resource and Patient Management System meeting the 2015 Edition Certification Requirements Published by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. [PDF - 1.36 MB]- Enclosure: Applying for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Merit Based Incentive Payment System Program Hardship Exceptions. [PDF - 158 KB]
September 11, 2020
The Deputy Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the selection of the new Director for the Office of Urban Indian Health Programs. [PDF - 233 KB]July 2, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders to initiate Tribal Consultation on the use of approximately $30 million in offset and prior-year funds from the Special Diabetes Program for Indians. [PDF - 311 KB]May 22, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to request assistance in identifying priority health professions for inclusion into categories eligible for the IHS Scholarship Program in academic year 2021-2022 and the IHS Loan Repayment Program in fiscal year 2021. Priorities are due to the IHS Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs by June 15, 2020. [PDF - 240 KB]- Enclosure: IHS Scholarship Program Priority Categories for Academic Year 2021- 2022 [PDF - 167 KB]
- Enclosure: IHS Loan Repayment Program Fiscal Year 2021 Priority Categories [PDF - 119 KB]
May 20, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide several updates about the Special Diabetes Program for Indians. [PDF - 305 KB]May 19, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce distribution decisions for $750 million in new resources appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services to support testing and testing related activities in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, authorized by the recent enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. [PDF - 394 KB]April 23, 2020
The Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders in follow-up to the April 3, 2020, letter to announce the Indian Health Service final allocation decisions of the remaining resources, authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Public Law 116-36. [PDF - 341 KB]April 3, 2020
The Principal Deputy Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the creation of a new Indian Health Service Opioid Grant Pilot Program. [PDF - 214 KB]- Enclosure: Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer Summary Report - Indian Health Service Opioid Grant Pilot Program [PDF - 242 KB]
April 3, 2020
The Principal Deputy Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the availability of, and distribution decisions for, $600 million in new resources appropriated in the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to address coronavirus prevention, preparedness, and response in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. [PDF - 266 KB]March 27, 2020
The Principal Deputy Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the availability of and distribution decisions for $134 million in new resources to respond to coronavirus in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. [PDF - 243 KB]March 4, 2020
The Principal Deputy Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to provide an update on the Indian Health Service Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) for the current fiscal year and provide decisions regarding the next SDPI grant cycle. [PDF - 217 KB]March 2, 2020
The Principal Deputy Director provides Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders with his decision on the funding mechanism to distribute Indian Health Service behavioral health initiative funding for the Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention Program, the Domestic Violence Prevention Program, and the Zero Suicide Initiative. [PDF - 238 KB]March 2, 2020
The Principal Deputy Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the selection of the new Area Director for the Alaska Area Indian Health Service. [PDF - 210 KB]February 6, 2020
The Principal Deputy Director notifies Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders that the HHS Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) have begun to implement Commissioned Corps (Corps) participation in Emergency Support Function #8 activities related to the rapid spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus and that the ASH has exercised his authority in Commissioned Corps Directive (CCD) 121.02 "Deployment and Readiness" to deploy Corps officers assigned to HHS Operating and Staff Divisions without supervisory or agency approval. [PDF - 317 KB]- Enclosure: Commissioned Corps Instruction 241.01, "Readiness and Duty Requirements" [PDF - ]
- Enclosure: Commissioned Corps Instruction 412.01, "Uniforms and Appearance" [PDF - ]
- Enclosure: Commissioned Corps Directive 121.02, "Deployment and Readiness" [PDF - ]
January 22, 2020
The Principal Deputy Director provides Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders with his decision on the Indian Health Service proposal to reprogram fiscal year 2019 funds for lease cost agreements with Tribes and Tribal Organizations authorized under section 105 (l) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. [PDF - 401 KB]Search
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