Government Run Health Care for Native Americans

Health Insurance Reform is Needed on Underserved Reservations

Aug 25, 2009

While guaranteed full health care coverage by the federal government, many Native Americans living on reservations are unhappy with the services they are provided.

The United States of America continually reconsiders the idea of establishing a government run health care option. In fact they are already operating a fully government-run health care system on the various Native American reservations scattered throughout the country. An analysis of how this system services its target population is instructive as to the federal government's ability to provide health care services in general.

According to the most recent census numbers there are approximately four million Native Americans in the continental U.S. These are indigenous peoples from North America now living in the continental United States, including Alaska and the island of Hawaii. About two million of them currently live on reservations. These peoples are guaranteed government health care due to the 1787 agreement between tribes and the United States government.

Health Care Seriously Underfunded

However, according to Mary Clare Jalonick of the Associated Press, the single-payer system that rations care to Native Americans on reservations across the country is lacking the necessary funds to provide quality health care.

“[T]he oft-quoted refrain is “don’t get sick after June,” when the federal dollars run out. It’s a sick joke, and a sad one, because it’s sometimes true, especially on the poorest reservations where residents cannot afford health insurance.”

Not only do the reservations evidently lack funding, but they also suffer from a lack of access to quality medical care. As reported by The Seattle Times, Michael Buckingham of the Makah Tribe lost two fingers in a fishing accident off the coastal town of Neah Bay, Washington, in 2007. He required physical therapy for a third damaged finger, but couldn't make the seventy-mile trip to the closest available clinic. "If I can't get it fixed, I'm just ready to have it cut off, because it's too painful," Buckingham said.

At a congressional hearing in August of 2009 tribal leaders sought further assistance from the federal government. "It's clear the federal government isn't fulfilling its trust responsibility to provide health care to Indian Country,” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman of the hearing, said.

As the U.S. Congress weighs the pros and cons of a federal health care reform some political leaders are nervous. Mike Rounds, Gov. of South Dakota in August of 2009 on Fox News voiced the concern many have over whether it is feasible for the government to provide quality health care to a national population of over 280 million citizens. “We do not wish Indian Health Service on anybody. If Congress can't fix Indian Health Service, how in the world are they ever going to take care of the rest of the American population?”

The copyright of the article Government Run Health Care for Native Americans in American Affairs is owned by Steve Brady. Permission to republish Government Run Health Care for Native Americans in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.