The Klamath Tribes Self-Governance Planning Cooperative Agreement Program - REQUEST: Funding in the amount of $180,000 to support the Klamath Tribes’ initiative to gather information to determine the current types of Programs, Services, Functions, and Activities (“PSFAs”), and related funding available at the Service Unit, Area, and Headquarters levels of the Indian Health Service (“IHS”) and provide the opportunity to improve and enhance the healthcare delivery system to better meet the needs of the Klamath Tribes’ community through a Tribal Self-Governance Compact. The objective of the grant program will be to determine the Tribal Shares attributable to the Klamath Tribes in order to make an informed decision on whether the Tribe should compact IHS funds using the ‘compact’ funding mechanism. The overall mission of the Tribe is to increase the continuum of health care provided to our Tribal clients and provide the highest level of quality health care and wellness programs for Klamath Tribes’ patients. A 24-month planning grant will outline all the PFSAs operated by the IHS for Klamath Tribes’ patients, as well as identify by line-item, all the dollars associated with the PFSAs at each level of the IHS (from the Klamath Service Unit and Portland Area to the Headquarters levels). Such planning activities will be conducted and facilitated by knowledgeable consultants, attorneys and/or experts in the field of IHS budgets, resource allocation formulae, PFSA’s, and Tribal shares determinations. The majority of the PFSAs are already under a P.L. 93-638 contract with the exception of Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund (“CHEF”) and several[EW1.1] Office of Environmental Health and Engineering (“OEHE”) programs. The planning activities will provide the RSIC Tribal Council options regarding the assumption of PFSAs via the compacting mechanism with the following recommendations or options listed: 1. the pros and cons of compacting vs. contracting 2. the pros and cons of “buy backs” (i.e., the programs that will remain with the IHS) 3. the Tribal shares that are attributable to the Klamath Tribes for the remaining shares (e.g, OEHE, CHS, Area, Headquarters, etc.) 4. recommendations regarding the compacting of all or some of the PFSAs. The Tribe is seeking funding from the Indian Health Service, Tribal Self Governance Grant Program to establish a planning grant program. The planning grant will fund the contractual cost of consultants/attorneys and operation costs to implement the program. By the conclusion of the planning period, the Klamath Tribes will possess the legal, financial, operational, and organizational analyses necessary to determine whether participation in the Title V Tribal Self-Governance Program is in the Tribe's best interest and to prepare for future compact negotiations should the Tribal Council elect to proceed. This planning effort represents the next step in the Tribe's longstanding commitment to self-determination, Tribal sovereignty, and improving access to culturally responsive, high-quality healthcare for Tribal citizens.
