Posted on 08/21/2009 5:09:14 PM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing
A “Broken” Health Care System for Native Americans On paper, the situation sounds good: Based on a 1787 agreement between tribes and the United States government, the U.S. has an obligation to provide American Indians with free health care on reservations.
But that’s not how it works, reports the Associated Press. Roughly one-third more is spent per capita on health care for felons in federal prison, according to 2005 data referenced by the AP. The system’s ineffectiveness has yielded a common refrain on reservations of “don’t get sick after June,” because that‘s when federal funds run out.
(Excerpt) Read more at findingdulcinea.com ...
It's a rationing nightmare. Native american indians do not deserve this. The government should give them their freedom and power back.
(yes, I saw the 1787 line, I have little doubt that the government has done changes and horrible 'tweaks' to the original agreement)
bump
On the brighter side, if nationalized health care does get rammed through, what more logical place to maintain bastions of private health care than on Indian reservations? I mean, we and the Canadians will have to go somewhere to get our lives saved, won’t we?
The Chickasaws here in Oklahoma have a great healthcare delivery system for their tribal members. They have Clinics around the Chickasaw territory and run the hospital in Ada that takes care of everyone. They are very much into quality healthcare for their tribal members.
The stats on health care on the reservations are bad because the residents won’t use the “white man’s clinic”. Doesn’t really matter how good or bad the clinics are, getting the patients to use the clinics is the problem.
My wife's family has had similar experience with the Seminole tribe.
For those who may not be familiar, PKM and I aren't referring to government-delivered health care on reservations. Instead, it's tribal-delivered health care with no reservation involved.
Some positive, some negative.......
Knowing the VA system and the Indian system....the Indian system is better...but it's still heavy funded by the Fed's.
And the Indian system is prone to fraud, and waste, and nepotism.....too. Just like the VA system.....
Employee's get entrenched...and you can't get rid of them. No matter if they really suck....As they are a relative of the Chief...or a Headman...So they stay in their position.
Anyhoo...I can tell you stories....................
fwiw-
Really? I’d love to hear about the VA system.
Glad you cleared that up — I forgot to put that in my comments. Oklahoma must be different then other states but then we don’t have the reservations like some others.
I was under the impression that the Chickasaws and some other tribes here fund their own health care. I know their Clinics are funded by the tribe. Sometimes I wonder if the tribes on this side of the state are run differently.
Ya know, if they'd just escape the reservation mentality and quit voting Democrat, they just might live a bit longer.
Okay, they might lose one lucrative casino here or another lucrative one there, but it's their choice.
Live by the government, die by the government.
Don’t worry..........when they impose it on the rest of us the bugs will be worked out and it will be just ducky.
-———getting the patients to use the clinics is the problem.-—————
How does that tie into ‘don’t get sick after june’?
But I am not totally clear on that....
I know the Osage Tribe does...and they are some of the wealthiest around.
Huge buildings with low occupancy......for one.
I bet you can add to that.........
Thanks! I wasn’t sure how it was handled — all I have experience with is the Chickasaws.
Federal funds run out in June. Why fund a health care system that rarely gets used? Most clinics could simply be closed and it would have little effect on the reservation residents. They simply choose not to use federally funded health care, which is a feel- good program for liberal politicians.
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