Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to make it easier for Indian Health Services (IHS) to recruit and retain medical workers. Specifically, this legislation, the IHS Workforce Parity Act, improves health care in Tribal communities by allowing providers working part-time to access IHS scholarship and loan repayment programs. Last Congress, this bill passed the Senate unanimously but did not receive a vote in the House of Representatives.
Historically, IHS has a 25% vacancy rate for health care providers, and the IHS Workforce Parity Act would help attract new doctors and nurses to both the agency and Tribal health facilities that serve over 2.5 million American Indian and Alaskan Native Tribal members.
“The severe shortage of IHS health care providers poses a threat to the quality of care that Nevadans in Tribal communities receive. That is unacceptable,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “It is time for Congress to come together to pass my common sense, bipartisan legislation and provide real solutions for Indian Country.”
“I am confident our legislation will help address the current difficulty IHS is facing in recruiting and retaining health care professionals,” said Senator Mullin. “Rural health care providers like IHS have unique staffing needs, and our bill offers a flexible, cost-effective solution to ensure IHS maintains a competitive edge when considering new recruits. In strengthening the workforce, IHS can ensure a proper quality of care to their patients and improve patient outcomes.”
Senator Cortez Masto has long been a champion for Tribal communities. Last year, the Senate passed her legislation to strengthen Tribal public safety. She repeatedly called on the Biden administration to do more to address the epidemic of violence against Native women and girls, including securing federal funding to protect Native communities, urging the administration to draft a plan to address this issue, and requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the federal response to this crisis.
###