Indian Healthcare Crisis

[Bridey]

thought some of you may be interested in reading this. it's good to stay informed about these things, imo.

it makes me sad that legislators can try to justify offering medicare/medical to illegal immigrants, but can't seem to pass a bill to take care of our first nation people.

bridey

senator byron dorgan (d-north dakota) who chairs the senate indian affairs committee, journeyed to the crow reservation in montana on wednesday for a hearing which focused on the crisis of health care in indian country

crow agency - the hearing prepares the way for the senate finance committee, which is addressing the act. the indian affairs committee, which has primary jurisdiction over the bill, has given approval to it. senate finance committee chairman max baucus (d-mt), whose committee has partial jurisdiction over portions of the bill, stated that he would schedule a committee session to act on the bill september 12, 2007.

indian health service, (ihs) is a program that provides health care to the tribes. in treaties with the united states, provisions for health services to the tribes became a federal trust responsibility. despite these agreements made more than a century ago, current health care conditions on the reservations are described as being at “third world levels.”

senator dorgan has stated in earlier press that he “would not allow another congress to come and go without acting to improve it. the indian affairs committee approved similar legislation in the previous congress, but the full senate never considered it.”

read article in its entirety:

http://www.pacificfreepress.com/content/view/1569/81/