Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Beta This is a new resource - your feedback will help us improve it.

IHS’s Administration of the Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund

Announced on  | Last Modified on  | Project Number: OAS-26-05-020
Status
Active
Agency
Indian Health Service

OBJECTIVE

The Indian Health Service’s (IHS’s) Catastrophic Health Emergency Fund (CHEF) was established to meet the extraordinary medical costs associated with the treatment of victims of disasters or catastrophic illness for individuals under IHS’s responsibility. CHEF is used to reimburse Tribal health programs for medical services purchased from non-IHS providers when existing IHS or Tribal facilities cannot provide the care needed or when supplemental funds are needed for comprehensive care. CHEF appropriations are capped annually and must be used as the payor of last resort. Our objectives are to: (1) provide an overview of how IHS administers CHEF, (2) identify any significant changes to the CHEF program during fiscal years 2021–2025, and (3) describe the process for reimbursing medical costs of eligible individuals.

TIMELINE

  • January 15, 2026
    Announced
  • Today
    Office of Audit Services In-Progress
  • Est FY2028
    Estimated Fiscal Year for Project Completion
Work Plan Type
Office of Audit Services
HHS Agencies
Indian Health Service
Issue Areas
Financial Stewardship Public Health Issues
Target Groups
Native American
Financial Groups
Other Funding