IHS Workforce Parity Act Would Let Clinicians Serve Half-Time

The IHS Workforce Parity Act would let Indian Health Service scholarship and loan repayment recipients meet their service obligations through half-time clinical practice, opening Indian Country careers to clinicians who cannot commit to a full-time schedule.

What the IHS Workforce Parity Act Would Change

Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah), a family physician by training, introduced H.R. 10956 on November 5, 2026, and the bill covers urban Indian organizations, writes Jeremy Grabiner of the National Council of Urban Indian Health.

The Senate companion, S. 632, cleared the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in March 2025. Its Senate committee report notes that current law requires a full-time, two-year commitment, while half-time scholarship recipients would serve double the period. HHS testified in 2024 to more than 1,856 IHS health professional vacancies. NCUIH reports a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on November 19, 2026.

Why Contract Clinicians Belong in the Conversation

Ellsworth, a Native-owned healthcare staffing company serving IHS, Tribal and 638, and rural facilities, supports this flexibility and believes Congress should consider extending it to contract clinicians, including travel nurses and locum tenens providers. Half-time credit could keep these clinicians returning to the same communities. Staffing partners would need to provide reliable tracking, monitoring, and reporting of hours worked at each facility, clinic, or center. Clinicians weighing their options can start with our look at the IHS Loan Repayment Program FY2027 cycle, and we encourage Tribal health leaders to share their views before the hearing.