CMS Announces Coverage of Traditional Healthcare Practices

In an October 16 press release, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced the approval of section 1115 demonstration amendments allowing Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to cover traditional healthcare practices provided by Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, Tribal facilities, and urban Indian organizations (UIO).

CMS reported that studies have shown that traditional healthcare practices can improve outcomes for people with various conditions, including mental health and substance use disorders. Some Tribes, according to the news brief, see traditional healthcare practices as a fundamental element of healthcare that can help patients with specific physical and mental ailments.

This action is expected to improve access to culturally appropriate healthcare and health outcomes for tribal communities in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Oregon.

“By strengthening access to traditional healthcare practices, these innovative state demonstrations can play a crucial role in reducing health disparities and improving health across tribal communities,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement.

“American Indian and Alaska Natives have been endowed by our ancestors a deep and priceless wealth of traditional healing knowledge. These practices have sustained our people's health for generations and continue to serve as a vital link between culture, science, and wellness in many of our communities,” IHS Director Roselyn Tso said in a statement.