CMS-Approved Waivers Break New Ground for Medicaid Coverage of American Indian and Alaska Native Traditional Health Care Practices

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved waivers in four states — Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Oregon — that allow Medicaid agencies to cover American Indian and Alaska Native traditional health care practices for the first time. These waivers aim to support sovereign Tribal governments in providing health care services that reflect individual Tribes’ cultures and healing knowledge. Previously, traditional health care services have been offered via Indian Health Services, in Tribal communities and other settings, but these funding sources can often be insufficient and short-term. The states and CMS developed the waivers in partnership with Tribal leaders, through formal Tribal consultation processes, public comment periods, and advisory groups.

This Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) Policy Cheat Sheet provides a high-level summary of these groundbreaking waivers, including who is eligible to provide and receive services, how and where services may be delivered, implementation support, and the waivers’ implications for increased Medicaid-Tribal cooperation across states and Tribal communities. These approvals offer a blueprint for other states to work in partnership with Tribal leaders to develop their own waivers.

READ THE POLICY CHEAT SHEET