Health care access, improved oversight, accountability, and prioritization can improve access for Native American veterans

" Native Americans who have served in the military may be eligible for health care services from both VA and IHS, but according to reports some have had problems accessing care. In 2010 these two agencies expanded upon an MOU designed to improve Native American veterans' access to care at their facilities. GAO was asked to examine how the MOU has increased access to care. This report examines: (1) the actions that VA and IHS have taken to implement the provisions in the 2010 MOU related to access to care for Native American veterans, and (2) what is known about how access to care for Native American veterans has improved. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed agency documents and VA and IHS reimbursement data and interviewed VA and IHS officials. GAO also visited three sites selected to reflect geographic variation to learn about access to care locally through interviews with regional VA and IHS officials, health facility officials, and Native American veterans and their tribal representatives. GAO also contacted other individuals who help Native American veterans seek enrollment in the VA to obtain their insights about improvements in access to care. "