Hall, Tex
Indian Country Today (Lakota Times)
04-25-2001
Health care: It's time to fight for this core trust responsibility
CHAIRMAN TEX HALL
THREE AFFILIATED TRIBES OF THE FORT BERTHOLD INDIAN RESERVATION
Henry David Thoreau wrote that 'in the long run, people hit only what they
aim at. Therefore, though they should fail immediately, they had better aim
at something high.'
Well, now is the time to aim high. This year Indian country must wrestle
with one of the most important pieces of legislation it has seen in years,
a bill to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Sen. Ben
Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., has taken the lead on the Senate side and
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., and several key congressman are introducing
the House version.
The health status of Native American people is a national disgrace. The
health status of American Indian people in the Great Plains Area is similar
to that of many Third World countries. There is only one nation in this
hemisphere with poorer health status than our area, and that is Haiti.
The fact is public and private health care spending in the United States
amounts to $1.1 trillion annually, or 13.5 percent of the gross national
product, with $50 billion of that being spent on research.
Conversely, the Indian Health Service received almost $2.4 billion in
funding last year, of which $1.8 billion was for personal health care
services. Tribal leaders and Native American health experts report the
actual funding need for IHS and tribal health programs is closer to $15
billion annually.
Lately there has been a movement to at least try and increase funding for
American Indian health programs to a level similar to that offered to
federal employees through the U.S. government's health plan. Right now, the
annual adjusted value of those plans on a per capita basis is $3,221. If
that standard was applied to American Indians served through the IHS and
tribal systems, Congress would have to spend $3.5 billion annually on
personal health care services - basically double what is being appropriated
now. But even that additional $1.7 billion being called for does not really
begin to address the true health needs and treaty-guaranteed health
services in Indian country.
The harsh reality is that Congress has allocated $40 million for the Indian
Health Care Improvement Fund to begin the process of trying to raise all
tribes to a fair and equitable base spending amount. But whether you choose
to aim for the additional $1.7 billion in so-called 'level of need funded'
monies or $12.6 billion to raise the spending level to $15 billion, it is
clear it would take decades of $40 million increases to make any sort of
meaningful improvement. And we simply don't have that luxury.
Native Americans continue to suffer from the highest rates of tuberculosis,
diabetes, infant mortality and cancer in the nation. Our mortality rates
are one and a half times those of whites. Native Americans also lead the
nation in poverty rates (25.9 percent) and just less than half of Native
Americans have some sort of job-related health insurance compared to 72
percent for whites. Thirty percent of Native Americans lack insurance and
access to IHS and tribal facilities.
One thing should be clear. There is a direct link between health and
wealth. And if we struck a bargain with the United States through our
treaties, then right now we are getting the short end of the deal. Put
plain and simply, our needs are not being met. And something has got to be
done about this.
I have watched tribal members' health erode because of diabetes and other
premature diseases. I have watched my own family suffer because of a lack
of health care dollars, including my own father who is unable to obtain
critical assisted living care through the IHS because contract health care
funds are not available.
I am glad to report there is at least some good news. Last week, Sen. Tom
Daschle, D-S.D., successfully pushed through an amendment to the FY2000
Budget resolution in the Senate. His amendment puts the Senate on record as
supporting a $4.2 billion increase to the Indian Health Service's budget. I
was also heartened to see Sen. Daschle's recognition that this funding is a
treaty obligation and want to thank him for his leadership.
Recently I have had the privilege of sitting and listening to great tribal
leaders from around this country eloquently voice their concerns in two
national Indian Health Service meetings. We all agree on this - there has
to be far more funding than is available under the current system to take
care of our children, elders, our ancient facilities and the pervasiveness
of disease and poor health out in Indian country.
Now is the chance. Congress must make this a priority as it reauthorizes
the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and meets in conference over the FY
2002 Budget Resolution. As tribal leaders, we need to make it a priority
and enforce this core trust responsibility. We have to make it clear to
Congress and to the American people, that there is no other choice.
Article copyright Indian Country Today.
Article copyright Indian Country Today.
V.21;
Indian Country Today (Lakota Times)
04-25-2001
Health care: It's time to fight for this core trust responsibility
CHAIRMAN TEX HALL
THREE AFFILIATED TRIBES OF THE FORT BERTHOLD INDIAN RESERVATION
Henry David Thoreau wrote that 'in the long run, people hit only what they
aim at. Therefore, though they should fail immediately, they had better aim
at something high.'
Well, now is the time to aim high. This year Indian country must wrestle
with one of the most important pieces of legislation it has seen in years,
a bill to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Sen. Ben
Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., has taken the lead on the Senate side and
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., and several key congressman are introducing
the House version.
The health status of Native American people is a national disgrace. The
health status of American Indian people in the Great Plains Area is similar
to that of many Third World countries. There is only one nation in this
hemisphere with poorer health status than our area, and that is Haiti.
The fact is public and private health care spending in the United States
amounts to $1.1 trillion annually, or 13.5 percent of the gross national
product, with $50 billion of that being spent on research.
Conversely, the Indian Health Service received almost $2.4 billion in
funding last year, of which $1.8 billion was for personal health care
services. Tribal leaders and Native American health experts report the
actual funding need for IHS and tribal health programs is closer to $15
billion annually.
Lately there has been a movement to at least try and increase funding for
American Indian health programs to a level similar to that offered to
federal employees through the U.S. government's health plan. Right now, the
annual adjusted value of those plans on a per capita basis is $3,221. If
that standard was applied to American Indians served through the IHS and
tribal systems, Congress would have to spend $3.5 billion annually on
personal health care services - basically double what is being appropriated
now. But even that additional $1.7 billion being called for does not really
begin to address the true health needs and treaty-guaranteed health
services in Indian country.
The harsh reality is that Congress has allocated $40 million for the Indian
Health Care Improvement Fund to begin the process of trying to raise all
tribes to a fair and equitable base spending amount. But whether you choose
to aim for the additional $1.7 billion in so-called 'level of need funded'
monies or $12.6 billion to raise the spending level to $15 billion, it is
clear it would take decades of $40 million increases to make any sort of
meaningful improvement. And we simply don't have that luxury.
Native Americans continue to suffer from the highest rates of tuberculosis,
diabetes, infant mortality and cancer in the nation. Our mortality rates
are one and a half times those of whites. Native Americans also lead the
nation in poverty rates (25.9 percent) and just less than half of Native
Americans have some sort of job-related health insurance compared to 72
percent for whites. Thirty percent of Native Americans lack insurance and
access to IHS and tribal facilities.
One thing should be clear. There is a direct link between health and
wealth. And if we struck a bargain with the United States through our
treaties, then right now we are getting the short end of the deal. Put
plain and simply, our needs are not being met. And something has got to be
done about this.
I have watched tribal members' health erode because of diabetes and other
premature diseases. I have watched my own family suffer because of a lack
of health care dollars, including my own father who is unable to obtain
critical assisted living care through the IHS because contract health care
funds are not available.
I am glad to report there is at least some good news. Last week, Sen. Tom
Daschle, D-S.D., successfully pushed through an amendment to the FY2000
Budget resolution in the Senate. His amendment puts the Senate on record as
supporting a $4.2 billion increase to the Indian Health Service's budget. I
was also heartened to see Sen. Daschle's recognition that this funding is a
treaty obligation and want to thank him for his leadership.
Recently I have had the privilege of sitting and listening to great tribal
leaders from around this country eloquently voice their concerns in two
national Indian Health Service meetings. We all agree on this - there has
to be far more funding than is available under the current system to take
care of our children, elders, our ancient facilities and the pervasiveness
of disease and poor health out in Indian country.
Now is the chance. Congress must make this a priority as it reauthorizes
the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and meets in conference over the FY
2002 Budget Resolution. As tribal leaders, we need to make it a priority
and enforce this core trust responsibility. We have to make it clear to
Congress and to the American people, that there is no other choice.
Article copyright Indian Country Today.
Article copyright Indian Country Today.
V.21;
