Spending bill secures funds for Native American health care

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Access to health care for Native Americans across the U.S. will be bolstered with funding included in a government spending bill approved by Congress. The U.S. House passed the measure Friday, avoiding a government shutdown. A coalition of lawmakers from Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, California and elsewhere fought to include advanced appropriations for the Indian Health Service in the bill, marking a first for the underfunded agency as a way to ensure that services continue in case of potential funding disruptions. With the legislation, IHS joins other federal health care programs that receive advance funding, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Health Administration.