Senator Murkowski Applauds DOJ Settlement Resolution Supporting Alaska Native Healthcare System

Senator Murkowski Applauds DOJ Settlement Resolution Supporting Alaska Native Healthcare System

Washington, DC-U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, welcomed the resolution of a longstanding legal dispute between the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) and the federal government, which will provide $400 million, plus approximately $63 million in interest, to address improperly withheld contract support cost reimbursements under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA).

The settlement resolves the case, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium v. Kennedy, following years of litigation over the federal government's obligation to reimburse tribal health organizations for the costs associated with carrying out health care services on behalf of the federal government. The agreement follows the Supreme Court's decision in Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe, which affirmed tribal rights to contract support cost reimbursement under ISDEAA.

"Contract support costs are essential to ensuring tribal health organizations have the resources they need to provide the care the federal government has entrusted them to deliver. I have long fought to ensure the federal government honors its commitments to Alaska's tribal health organizations and fully meets its trust responsibility," said Senator Murkowski. "In Alaska, our tribal health system is a lifeline. For many people in rural and remote communities, it is their primary access to essential health care. Resolving this lawsuit is a significant victory because it provides long-overdue certainty and resources that will allow ANTHC to strengthen health care delivery, invest in critical infrastructure and workforce needs, and focus on serving patients rather than continuing costly litigation. This settlement represents an important step forward for Alaska's tribal health system and the communities it serves. I thank the Department of Justice for helping bring this longstanding matter to a successful resolution."