<\/P>\r\nAt issue are self-determination contracts entered into between tribes and the Indian Health Service<\/a> (IHS). The outcome will further clarify the meaning of “contract support costs” as part of a long-running string of cases heard by the high court in the last 20 years.\r\n <\/P>\r\nThe San Carlos Apache Tribe<\/a>, headquartered in Arizona, and the Northern Arapaho Tribe<\/a>, headquartered in Wyoming, both won their cases at the circuit court level. The decisions from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals<\/a> and from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals<\/a>, respectively, would allow the tribes to be paid by the IHS for contract support costs incurred by billing third-party insurers, such as Medicare, Medicaid and private companies.\r\n <\/P>\r\nThe administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, subsequently appealed both tribal victories. The cases are named for Xavier Becerra, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services<\/a>, the parent agency of the IHS.\r\n <\/p>\r\nArguments lasted about an hour and 26 minutes<\/a>. The justices first heard from Caroline A. Flynn<\/a> of the Department of Justice<\/a>, representing the U.S. government. Her presentation ran for about 34 minutes.\r\n