Tribal Leaders Urge Increased Funding for Health Care as Oklahoma City Area Ranks Lowest in IHS

By Cherokee 411 Staff

(Cherokee411.com)
May 16, 2025

OKLAHOMA CITY — Tribal leaders are calling for increased federal funding for Native health care after a recent report ranked the Oklahoma City area lowest in per capita Indian Health Service (IHS) funding nationwide.

Despite serving nearly half a million American Indians and Alaska Natives across Oklahoma, Kansas, and parts of Texas, the Oklahoma City IHS service area receives just $2,221 per person—nearly $1,000 less than the national average.

“Underfunding has reached a critical point,” said Morgan Rodman, executive director of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. “This directly impacts Native lives, and the disparities are unacceptable.”

Health care for Native Americans is guaranteed through treaties and federal obligations. However, the chronic shortfall in IHS funding—especially in high-population regions like Oklahoma—has long strained tribal health systems. Many clinics report long wait times, staff shortages, and limited specialty care.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the disparities must be addressed through equitable distribution of federal dollars.

“We're talking about fixing generational health inequities,” Hoskin said. “Tribal nations know how to serve our people, but we need the resources to do it.”

While Congress has increased IHS funding in recent years, tribal leaders are pushing for full mandatory funding—a change that would remove the service from the discretionary budget process and better fulfill federal trust obligations.

“We can no longer be the lowest-funded area and be expected to thrive,” said R. Kevin Wilson, director of the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board. “Lives are on the line.”

As the federal government begins planning its 2026 budget, tribal health advocates are urging lawmakers to prioritize Native health equity and honor commitments made through law and treaty.