We provide grants or contracts with consultants to help tribes plan for and develop new programs and evaluation strategies and to cover start-up costs for new T-HIP programming. All funding under this initiative is by invitation only.

The Medicaid Tribal Health Improvement Program, or “THIP,” was created in 2017 by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. It provides tribal health departments with an innovative solution for developing and sustaining programs that target disease prevention by promoting the health and wellness of their members.

Since the program became available, our staff have organized and hosted regular convenings of the THIP Directors – tribal staff tasked with THIP implementation – and, when requested by a tribe, we have provided technical assistance tailored to each tribe’s projects. These projects include:

• Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation: Addressing health disparities by keeping children active, healthy, and away from drugs and alcohol.
• Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation: Helping people find primary care providers and identifying local resources that support a healthier lifestyle.
• Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy Reservation: Promoting physical health and wellness in the community.
• Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation: Supporting care coordination so the health department can provide the best services possible.
• Crow Tribe of Montana: This newest project (starting in 2023) will help high-risk tribal members on Medicaid to maximize their benefits and coordinate their health care.
• Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation: Supporting the tribal health department’s medical services and other health improvement systems.
• Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation: Reducing the incidence of chronic health diseases and hospitalizations in high-risk populations through health education.