Congressman Raul Grijalva has introduced a bill that will require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to work more closely with organizations that specialize in Indian health care policy.
Under the current system, urban Indian populations can get lost in the shuffle when it comes to health care.
Although a number of organizations are in place to provide this care, the federal government does not always communicate with them effectively.
Walter Murillo is with Native Health, a Phoenix nonprofit.
“We see that talking directly with urban programs can be effective, and we’ve also seen where, absent that obligation, things can be missed,” Murillo said.
He says the bill will improve communication with organizations like his.
Murillo says the bill has broad bipartisan support in Congress as well as support from the tribes.
