Does the US government provide health care for Native Americans?

[raccoon]

I mean, like a special program for them?

[supernova]

1. I think reservation clinics

where they exist are run by the tribes themselves. I think tribal casinos pay for part of it.

Otherwise, I think native americans have the same options we all do. Medicaid/Medicare, employer plans, being uninsured.

There is nothing at the BIA website about gov't provided healthcare. Though, there too, you could make the case that it's the gov't's mission to provide healthcare for all.

[rwork]

3. Here in Okla.

Health is free for Choctaws and Cherokees. My grandkids have indian cards. All this is paid for with casino money. The native American casinos make more money then Las Vegas.

They have even paved our streets in my town and surrounding towns.

[leftofcool]

2. Every tribe has clinics and hospitals

except for perhaps the smaller tribes. The Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma has several hospitals and clinics as well as the one in North Carolina. Enrolled tribal members are treated free of charge as long as they have a tribal card. That is the way it works for my daughter in law.

[old mark]

4. There used to be federal programs for people in medical school

that would pay tuition if the graduating doctor served several years in a reservation medical facility...I don't know if this program still exists after the Bush II regime. It probably was too sensible and compassionate for them.

mark

[Broken_Hero]

5. Yes,

IHS, aka Indian Health Services. There are numerous Indian hospitals/clinics that cater to the American Indian population, and a few of those have fantastic contract services with mainstream clinics/hospitals.

In some aspects its very similar to the VA healthcare system for our troops/vets.

There is a lot of issue within IHS though, the main one I collide with often is that somehow, you lose your "indianess" if you move away from the reservation/state in which you live, and the place you move too, the clinics involved will not help you, or the previous clinic/hospital will not help. As an example...

One of my wife's aunt, moved out of NE Oklahoma and she found employment at a chicken plant. She broke her arm and went to the Jay clinic in Ok, and also Claremore Indian hosptial, and they REFUSED to fix her arm because she lived outside of the 14(or is it 16?) county district in which Cherokee Nation has influence.

This has changed in the past 9 years, because of numerous incidents like the one I described above, but at times the IHS system is very tedious, and extremely idiotic.

eta:grammar

[Winterblues]

6. In Alaska it isn't that way, if you are one eighth or more Alaskan Native you

receive health care provided by the government anyplace you happen to be whether you live there or not. It includes Dental..

[Broken_Hero]

7. Thats not my experience,

I'm Haida from SE Alaska, when I was in the hospital the last time(03) my tribe tried to prove that I wasn't a resident of AK so they didn't have to pay for my hospital bill. As a matter of fact, if I went back to my hometown IHS right now, they would refuse to cover me.

One of my brothers also experienced this when he became a resident of Utah state, our IHS/tribe didn't want anything to do with him. This factor is one of the reasons why some indians stay on the rez/location of the birth. Hell, its one the the main reasons why my mother moved back to Ak from Washington before giving birth to me, so she could have tribal/IHS help.

I have been lucky so far, because my tribe and Cherokee nation get along, both tribes will accept each other in their clinics, but residency in my experience has been a bane.

[Winterblues]

8. You notice I said "Alaskan" Native

:shrug:

[Broken_Hero]

9. I'm not sure what you mean, I am Alaskan Native

born and raised, Haida.

[mdmc]

10. ..