The Western Political Science Association, a California based research group of 1000 political scientists, recently held their annual meeting in March, 2009. There Dr. Edward Fox presented his paper, “Medicaid and the Indian Health Programs: Financing Indian Health Programs in the US.” Dr. Fox is thoroughly acquainted with the IHS and has served as Executive Director for the Northwest Portland Indian Health Board. Much is gleaned from his insight.

The health care of Native Americans is almost completely publicly funded. It is expected that the amount of funding this program would need were it to match the care delivered in the private sector would be approximately 10 billion dollars. With the 3.6 billion funded to the IHS and the additional estimated 4 billion from those eligible for Medicaid and Medicare (which serve as priority payer before the IHS funds are tapped) it is underfunded by billions of dollars. This is your government in action. Underestimate the demand and be incompetent in providing the supply. Can you spell Massachusetts?

The IHS serves 1,485,431 Native Americans which is about 57% of the total Native American population. Per Dr. Fox’s paper, some tribes are not too happy that they have to qualify for Medicaid: “One important point that has to be presented in this paper is while that the tribes see the partnership between IHS and CMS as beneficial, most take the position that they should not have to rely on a means-tested program such as Medicaid to meet their member’s health needs. Tribes argue that the treaties signed by the Federal government establish a legal and moral obligation to provide health care services.” Thus is the inherent value of a Federal government promise exposed.

Speaking to the point of inferior funding, Fox States-“Unfortunately, IHS is chronically underfunded and thus has suffered budget shortfalls, additionally years of inflation and mandatory costs have further eroded financial resources, resulting in year after year of severe rationing.” The embellishment is mine. It portends the hopes of the left for real change.

So what has been wrought by a health care program -a public option- run entirely by the Federal bureaucracy?

Native Americans:

-Have life expectancy that is 4.6 years lower than the US all races population.

-Die at higher rates from Tuberculosis (700%), Diabetes (190%), Suicide (70%)

-Have higher infant mortality,

 -More likely to die from pneumonia or influenza

What is scary is that the Native American population, over all, is younger than the all races American population

Living under the health care “nanny state” has done little for Native Americans.

The most disturbing line in Dr. Fox’s report is a statement from a 2005 IHS report which states: “The IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people and its goal is to raise their health status to the highest possible level.”

Good grief.

Data for this article was collected from the Indian Health Service (HIS) web site “Facts Sheet” and a paper presented at the Western Political Science Association annual meeting March 19, 2009 entitled; “Medicaid and the Indian Health Programs: Financing Indian Health Programs in the US”, by Edward Fox, PhD (et. al) -2009