Indian Health Service (IHS) Efforts to Strengthen Services for Native Veterans

I appreciated the opportunity to provide the committee with more information about the collaboration of the Indian Health Service and Veterans Affairs to provide both rural and urban Native veterans with access to quality, culturally appropriate health care and benefits. These efforts are critical, as American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the U.S. military at a higher rate than any other group. The IHS provides federal health services to approximately 2.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives living across the United States — 145,000 of which are Native veterans.