Tribal employees will be able to join the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program thanks to a provision in the Affordable Care Act.

The Office of Personnel Management is educating tribes about their options. Advocates say the program will cover gaps in coverage from the Indian Health Service and ease health care costs for tribal employers.

"Being part of the FEHB program makes it much more affordable and standardizes some of those services," Jacqueline Johnson-Pata, the executive director of the National Congress of American Indians told Federal News Radio.

At most, 350,000 employees of tribes or tribal organizations could join FEHB, according to Federal News Radio. About 25,000 are expected to join this year.

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FEHB program almost ready to welcome Indian tribe employees (Federal News Radio 1/11)