releases: http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=AA0B6EEE-1056-4F63-A0F8-B5B1D4476B4B
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| http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=AA0B6EEE-1056-4F63-A0F8-B5B1D4476B4B | Sen. Rounds continues push for IHS audit as two reform bills clear initial hurdles | 2016-09-22 | 2016 | 2016-09 | Republican | House | SD | Kristi Noem | N000184 | noem.house.gov | legacy | Two Indian Health Service reform bills made progress Wednesday, but U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds is considering one way to improve upon one of those bills. "While we're not there yet, we're making progress," Rounds said in a media conference call Thursday. "That's one of the reasons why I suggested I'd still like to look seriously at amending the bill which just passed out of committee. I'm seriously considering trying to amend that to put in that a requirement for a full, outside independent audit." Rounds said the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the IHS, has agreed to audits within some areas of the agency. Those areas include an audit of the purchased and referred care system, the agency's organizational structure and a review of medical records to determine if any patients were harmed in Great Plains IHS facilities. Rounds said these audits would be a step in the right direction, but he'd still prefer to see an agency-wide audit similar to the review of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs finalized in 2013. "I think it's a good first step, we're making progress, but it's not everything that I want to see in this thing," Rounds said. The audit requirement could be added to the IHS Accountability Act of 2016, which was approved by the Indian Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The bill, which was sponsored by U.S. Sens. John Thune, R-South Dakota, and John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, would expand discipline authority over "problem employees" within the IHS, require tribal consultation prior to the hiring of area directors and hospital CEOs, streamline the volunteer credential process and mandate the HHS secretary provide timely spending reports to Congress. On Wednesday, Thune said changing the culture within a federal agency is never easy, but he said that shouldn't keep Congress from attempting to reform the struggling agency. "In crafting this legislation, we've been deliberate in our effort to work with a wide range of stakeholders and take into consideration their feedback and concerns," Thune said. "I've said all along that we wouldn't be able to achieve meaningful reform without this important consultation, and I believe that today more than ever." By passing through the Indian Affairs Committee, the bill will move to the Senate floor, where Rounds looks forward to debates and amendments to improve upon the bill. In the other chamber of the Legislature, U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, saw the IHS reform provision she introduced receive approval from the House Ways and Means Committee. Under the provision approved Wednesday, the IHS could offer tax-free student loan repayment as an incentive to attract quality employees. "The kind of care being delivered by the IHS puts lives in jeopardy," Noem said on Wednesday. "One of the many hurdles we face is the recruitment of competent medical staff. The HEALTTH Act provision approved today offers a new, more competitive, incentive to help recruit the kind of workforce needed to improve the quality of care. " The provision is part of Noem's Helping Ensure Accountability, Leadership, and Trust in Tribal Healthcare (HEALTTH) Act, which allows tribal communities a seat at the table during the contract negotiation process, requires IHS to negotiate "Medicare-like" rates for services it funds from private providers and requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the financial stability of IHS hospitals facing sanctions from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The HEALTTH Act will next seek approval from both the House Natural Resources and Energy & Commerce committees. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |