Health Issues Impacting Indian Country

Native Americans have some of the worst health disparities compared to any other minority group. For example, they suffer from higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, suicide, and substance abuse than any other community. Health programs for Native Americans are chronically underfunded and the uninsured rates for this population is staggering. Coupled with the rising costs for healthcare delivery and the inadequate access to treatment, many Native American communities are facing unmanageable rates and quality of health issues.

The data is clear: A 2015 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and the Division of Population Health shows that Native Americans are more likely than any other racial group to practice binge drinking or to have been told they have diabetes, arthritis, or depression.

Understanding the sources of and solutions to these healthcare inequalities is the focus of a panel at the D.C. Indian Law Conference on Friday, November 2, 2018.  Join the FBA Indian Law Section for their 20th Annual D.C. Indian Law Conference in our nation’s capital at the FHI 360 Conference Center. Sign up today to take advantage of early bird rates at www.fedbar.org/dcil18.

Members of the federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and their descendants are eligible for services provided by the Indian Health Service (IHS).  The IHS, which is under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is charged with meeting the healthcare needs of tribes because of treaties with the U.S. government. The IHS is an agency that provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for millions of Native Americans.  The IHS strives for maximum tribal involvement in meeting the health needs of its service population, and it is the primary health care provider for most American Indians.

Panel 1 at the D.C. Indian Law Conference will focus on working with the current administration on tribal healthcare issues as well as provide an overview of pressing healthcare issues impacting Indian country, including the development of a revised consultation policy for the Department of Health and Human Services, the nomination of a director for the Indian Health Service, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ decision to classify tribes as a racial group rather than political entities among other topics.

What are the most pressing health issues affecting Indian Country? What are the ongoing steps for recovery and treatment that the Native American community needs? How has historical trauma, poverty, and colonialism impacted the quality of healthcare for Native American tribes? Attend the 2018 D.C. Indian Law Conference on November 2 to analyze best practices for the well-being of Indian communities and combating healthcare inequality for the Native American population. Sign up for this conference on or before October 12, 2018 to use the discounted registration rate! Visit www.fedbar.org/dcil18.

Stacy Slotnick, Esq. holds a J.D., cum laude, from Touro Law Center and a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She performs a broad range of duties as an entertainment lawyer, including drafting and negotiating contracts; addressing and litigating trademark, copyright, patent, and other IP issues; and directing the strategy and implementation of public relations, blogging, and social media campaigns.