Tribal Health Care Sucks More Than Yours

"Indian Land" by Seattlest Flickr Pool contributor Herbisara.

This morning's story in the P-I about the increasing disparity between Native American life expectancies and...well, everyone else's in Washington is required reading. From the article:

Many of Washington's 29 tribes don't have money for disease screenings, specialty care, mental health services, substance abuse treatment or dentists. Many triage their funds by invoking a "life or limb" standard, paying for specialty care only in dire emergencies. "If the leg don't have to come off, and if their eye don't have to come out, they won't get referred out," said Joseph, the Colville council member.

After you read the whole article, go buy a Sherman Alexie book and bask in the medicinal, burning glory of feeling really uncomfortable as a white person. Then, let's figure out how to start fixing this mess. Question: is Obama going to give Native Americans affordable health care, too?

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By Katelyn in News on March 12, 2009 8:30 AM

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Judy Schwartz Haley

Native Americans are American citizens. Health benefits to American citizens would be available to Native Americans as well. It becomes and issue when you look at proximity to care. Native lands are sovereign, so they may have to travel off the reservation in order to access the care and that may cause problems for those with limited access to transportation.