Native American Health Care Essay

1070 Words5 Pages

In the United States, healthcare is one of the largest industries. Hospitals, ambulatory clinics, and home health services in this industry can account for just some of the healthcare services and centers available to the public. With this in mind, it would seem that healthcare could be accessible to citizens in the United States. Yet, some populations do not have easy access to healthcare. Native Americans are an underserved population when it comes to healthcare. In 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau, there were 3.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who identified as American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) only and did not identify with any other race. (US Census Bureau, 2022) There were 324 distinct, federally recognized …show more content…

After various treaties and orders, the Snyder Act of 1921 took hold and paved the way for stronger efforts for the healthcare rights of the AIANA community. From this, a large resource stemmed. The Indian Health Service, or IHS. The Indian Health Service is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and is the sole health care provider for Native Americans at the Federal level. Starting in 1955, the IHS has worked to foster better healthcare through management, public health services, and organization. With their efforts, there have been better health outcomes for AIAN for preventable diseases, with an 82% decline in the infant mortality rate (IMR) since the establishment of IHS. (Ankit Mangla & Agarwal, 2022) There are twelve regional offices in the United States to meet the needs of each region and support 41 urban health clinics. The IHS offers a range of care aside from inpatient medical care, including behavioral health, dental, education, pharmacy, and …show more content…

Through the ACA, people can continue to use IHS, tribal, and/or urban Indian health programs, enroll in a qualified health plan (QHP) through the Marketplace, and access coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Care, 2017) The IHS does face the issue of being underfunded. For example, between 1993 and 1998, although the appropriations of IHS increased by 8%, medical inflation jumped by 20.6%. When adjusted for the growth in the AIAN population, per-capita appropriations decreased by 18% for this period. (Ankit Mangla & Agarwal, 2022) Healthcare professionals who work for the IHS are also underpaid in terms in terms of the national

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