Pro-Native SCOTUS decisions now

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday held that the federal government has been under-funding Native American tribes that administer their own healthcare programs for 30 years and must pay potentially hundreds of millions more going forward.

In its 5-4 ruling, the court found that federal law requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to pay the overhead costs that tribes incur when spending money from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. The ruling is a victory for the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona and the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming, which had each sued over the funding.

Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by the court's three liberals and by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, a consistent supporter of Native American rights. The ruling affirmed decisions by the 9th and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Carter Phillips of Sidley Austin, who represents the San Carlos Apache tribe, called the decision "a huge win for Indian country and for the quality of health care provided on Indian reservations."