Policy Watchtower/Final rule
IHS adds Dona Ana County, NM to Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo's Purchased/Referred Care area
Health and Human ServicesFinal ruleNov 12, 2026
Check: Effective November 12, 2026, Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo members living in Dona Ana County, New Mexico can receive Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) services under an expanded delivery area.
What it does
Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) is the Indian Health Service (IHS) program that pays for services not available at an IHS or Tribal facility. The Purchased/Referred Care Delivery Area (PRCDA, formerly the Contract Health Service Delivery Area) is the geographic area where that care is made available, and the final PRCDA for Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo now includes Dona Ana County, New Mexico, along with El Paso and Hudspeth Counties, Texas. IHS estimates the expansion will add about 500 Tribal members to the PRC-eligible population, and the notice states that residence in the area creates no legal entitlement to PRC, only potential eligibility.
Why it matters for tribal funding
Directly tribal. The document is about tribes, tribal programs or Native organizations specifically.
Who it covers: Tribal governments.
Rules it touches: 42 CFR 136
What to do next
- Confirm with Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo how Dona Ana County residents will be enrolled and found eligible for PRC, since the notice took effect on publication.
- Direct written requests for information to CDR Tracy Sanchez, Acting Director, Office of Resource Access and Partnerships, Indian Health Service, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop 06SEH03, Rockville, MD 20857, or call (301) 443-0969 (not toll-free).
- Check the updated PRCDA listing for all federally recognized Tribes at https://www.ihs.gov/prc/prcda-expansion.
Sources
Every signal is built from public records. The highlighted words appear in the source exactly as shown.
- Federal Register: tribal agenciesNoticeNov 12, 2026
Notice of Purchased/Referred Care Delivery Area Redesignation for Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo
Quoted from the source: “The IHS received no comments in response to the notice of proposed redesignation.”
Quoted from the source: “the Tribe has indicated that the PRC program can continue providing the same level of care to the PRC eligible population”
Read in the Federal RegisterU.S. government record, public domain.
Terms with a dotted underline open a plain-language definition. This is guidance, not legal advice: the official text always controls. A free public service from GrantsPath, a Native-owned business.