The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium says it can account for about $7 million in property that was "lost" by the Indian Health Service.

The consortium accepted old equipment, including tractors, trailers and ATVs, from the agency. But a report from the Government Accountability Office says the IHS didn't properly account for the transfers.

"We did accept about $7 million in property from the Indian Health Service and that was to enable us to continue program services," consortium spokesperson Joaqlin Estus told The Anchorage Daily News. "We can account for the $7 million that came to us."

The IHS disputes the GAO's characterization of the property transfers as losses and questions the dollar value assigned to the property. "They're counting all of this as brand new," spokesperson Thomas Sweeney said. "Is a 10-year-old car still worth the original purchase price?"

The GAO's report responded to that claim, noting that IHS continues to buy new equipment to replace the ones it no longer has in custody.

Get the Story:
Report: Health service shorted Alaska Natives (The Anchorage Daily News 8/4)
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GAO Report:
IHS Mismanagement Led to Millions of Dollars in Lost or Stolen Property | Summary

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