Lawmakers Move To Block $58M For Tribal Clinics — Critics Warn It Could Backfire Financially

A push by Wyoming lawmakers to block $58 million in federal funding for tribal health clinics is raising red flags from both health care leaders and fellow legislators, who say the move could end up costing the state more money than it saves – while putting essential care at risk for tribal communities.

The proposal surfaced this week during a Joint Appropriations Committee meeting in Cheyenne, where lawmakers advanced a slate of deep cuts and funding denials to the Wyoming Department of Health’s roughly $3 billion budget. The $58 million denial isn’t final, but unless reversed during the legislative session that begins Feb. 9, it would block tribal clinics from receiving federal Medicaid money already earmarked for them.