U.S.
Senator Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees |
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For Immediate
Release Thursday, January 24, 2008 |
CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630 |
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Sen. Salazar Fights for Indian Health Bill in Senate
Unfortunately, the Native American population, both nationally and in Colorado, are far more susceptible to health disparities that lead to higher death and illness rates. These include diabetes, and chronic liver disease. That is why passage of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is critical to Native American communities as it will help fund and expand necessary health care programs and services to the Native American population living in Colorado and across the country. It has been 16 years since Congress conducted a comprehensive review of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and addressed the persistent health disparities in Native American communities. Some highlights of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act:
Today, United States Senator Ken Salazar delivered the following speech, in support of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act: “Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of S.1200, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 2007 (IHCIA), which will reauthorize, improve, and expand necessary health care services and programs for the Native American population. The work we have done in the last year, and the debate we will have this week, is long overdue; it has been 16 years since Congress conducted a comprehensive review of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act - 16 years since we have addressed the persistent health disparities in Native American communities. This bill is vital to millions of Native Americans across the country, including the 52,000 Native Americans who live in my home state of Colorado. Colorado is home to two sovereign American Indian Nations: the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, in Towaoc, and the Southern Ute Tribe, headquartered in Ignacio. But, as we must remember in the course of this week’s debate, the majority of Native Americans in Colorado do not live on a reservation. In my state, members of 35 different tribal nations live in urban, suburban, and rural communities, from Denver to Durango. It is hard to overstate the contributions of Native Americans to Colorado’s economy, society, culture, and history. The Utes are the oldest known continuous residents of Colorado; the earliest Ute tribes traveled along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains before settling in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. In western Colorado,
they hunted, gathered, and worked the lands, often moving with the seasons
to better climates. The Spanish arrived in the 1630s and1640s
and, in the beginning, became trading partners for the Utes, exchanging
tools for meat and fur. What follows is a set of sad chapters in Colorado
and U.S. history, characterized by violence, retaliation, and tragedy,
much of it at the hands of the federal government.
The health care disparities are evident in Colorado, too:
For many Native Americans, access to health care is the biggest challenge. I have heard countless stories of individuals who are sick or in pain having to travel long distances to receive treatment. And when they get there, they find that the clinic cannot provide them all the treatments they need. Those services, they learn, are in hospitals hundreds of miles away. Access problems affect not only Native Americans on reservations that span hundreds of miles, but Native Americans living in urban areas. For the 25,000 Native Americans living in Denver, there is only one health care facility to meet their health care needs: Denver Indian Health and Family Services. This facility is funded by the Indian Health Service through funding allocated through Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, which provides funding for urban health centers. The Denver Indian Health and Family Services began providing healthcare on-site to Native Americans living in the Denver-metro area in 1978. The majority of its patients are single parents making an average of $621 per month - $7,452 per year. When a patient needs specialized treatment, however, they often have to travel 6,7, or 8 hours one-way to southwest Colorado, Rapid City, SD, or Albuquerque, NM. This is a long-trip for anyone, particularly if they are ill or injured. The United States government has a long-standing and solemn responsibility to federally-recognized tribes that is recognized in treaties, statutes, U.S. Supreme Court cases, and agreements. It is a trust responsibility that flows from Native Americans’ relinquishment of more than 500 million acres of land to the federal government. Native Indians see the reauthorization of IHCIA as part of the U.S. government living up to its end of the bargain with tribal governments. And they are right. The disparities in health care between Native Americans and the general population is a real problem, and it is one that Congress has a responsibility to address. I am proud of the bill that we are considering today because it takes major steps toward reducing the health disparities that persist in Native American communities. Although appropriations for IHS have traditionally fallen far short of the actual health care needed in Indian country, the focus on preventive care in current reauthorization legislation will make more efficient use of the Indian Health Services’ limited resources. Difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified health professionals have long been recognized as a significant factor impairing Native Americans’ access to health care services. The programs authorized in this bill will help recruit Native Americans into the health profession. Additionally, IHCIA provides for health education in schools, mammography and other cancer screenings, and help cover the cost of patient travel to receive health care services. Additionally, IHCIA removes barriers and increases participation and access to Medicare and Medicaid program benefits. Title V of the Indian
Health Care Improvement Act would fund programs in urban centers to
ensure that health services are accessible and available to Native Americans
living in cities like Denver. Key programs include immunization,
behavioral health, alcohol and substance abuse programs, and diabetes
prevention, treatment and control. I again want to
thank my colleagues on the Indian Affairs and Finance Committees for
their hard work on this bill. In particular, I want to again thank
Chairman Dorgan for his leadership and his tireless work on behalf of
Native American communities across the country. I hope my colleagues
will support this bill. We need to get this bill to the President’s
desk as soon as possible.”
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