Authors: National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Health Board

Publication Year: 2009

Last Updated: 2016-04-06 

Journal: NA

Abstract:

Reducing the spiraling costs of health care is a priority for Indian Country. Astronomical medical inflation rates, the expense of providing services in extremely rural communities, along with an increasing Indian population and limited competitive pricing have all tremendously hindered tribes and IHSs abilities to provide health care to Indian people. Often times, the only option is to require strict adherence to a medical priority system. These covered services are meant to be used for emergency and specialty medical services not offered onsite. However, due to severe under-funding, they are generally used for emergency care the treatment of life threatening conditions. Medical needs falling outside the priority system are not funded. This means that life-and-limb saving measures are selected by necessity over such things as health promotion and disease prevention. The results of this have been devastating in Indian Country. A paradigm shift, allowing tribes to focus on early intervention and prevention would significantly reduce the human and financial costs of health care delivery in Indian Country.

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