Testimony–The Urban Indian Health Care Story: The Need for Services–Testimony of Georgiana Ignace, President of National Council of Urban Indian Health Before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on the Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 2005 S.1057 July 14, 2005
Authors: Georgiana Ignace
Publication Year: 2005
Last Updated: 2010-09-28
Journal: NCUIH
Keywords: S.1057, IHCIA, Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Federal Tort Claims Act, Testimony, UIHP, Urban Indian Health Program, NCUIH, National Council of Urban Indian Health
Abstract:
Honorable Chairman and Committee Members, my name is Georgiana Ignace, President of the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH). I am a member of the Menominee Tribe and serve on the board of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, Inc., which provides health care services to the Milwaukee urban Indian community. On behalf of NCUIH, and its 34 member programs, I would like to express our appreciation for this opportunity to testify before your Committee on urban Indian health issues.
In general, S. 1057 contains many provisions that will support urban Indian programs. In this testimony I address the critical importance of providing Urban Indian Health Programs with access to the Federal Supply Schedule, as well as Federal Tort Claims Act coverage and a 100% Federal matching rate for Medicaid services. My testimony also focuses on the unique circumstances of urban Indians, the barriers they face in accessing health care, and the Federal obligation to address urban Indian health care needs. As set forth below, the Federal government has long acknowledged that its trust obligation to Native peoples is not just based on reservation geography, but extends in some measure to wherever Native people live within the United States.
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