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Tribal leaders from across the country are providing testimony in Washington, D.C. this week on American Indian and Alaska Native programs.
Three hearings are being held in the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.
Tribal leaders Tuesday morning mentioned how the Trump administration’s recent actions, including the federal hiring freeze and layoffs, threaten essential services in Indian Country.
Tribal leaders are raising concerns about federal funding for health care, law enforcement, education, and other services and programs.
While tribal leaders are calling on the federal government to uphold tribal trust and treaty obligation, Chief J. Allan of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe is also urging for strong leadership.
“All I’m asking for is for leadership to come together and work this out.”
Chief Allan echoed funding needs for tribal programs, which he said have been historically underfunded, and urged the subcommittee to address tribal concerns.
The hearing continues Tuesday afternoon and hearings Wednesday and Thursday.
According to the subcommittee, there were an unprecedented number of requests, requiring a third day to accommodate around 100 tribes and tribal organizations.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM)
The state of New Mexico announced Monday that state agencies are launching support initiatives to help people recently dismissed from their federal employment, as the Trump administration seeks to shrink the federal workforce.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) says the state is committed to supporting people into transitioning into new career opportunities.
The initiative includes recruitment events, online resources, and access to education and training opportunities.
Online resources offer information about unemployment insurance, job search, and career support, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Recruitment events will take place in the state in the next few weeks featuring employers ready to hire, including the state, private businesses, and local municipalities.
New Mexico’s Congressional delegation has been advocating for the protection of federal employees, including those serving Indian Country.
Angie Wilson, director of the Reno-Sparks Tribal Health Center, led an effort in collaboration with Nevada Health Link, the state’s health insurance marketplace, to create a tribal sponsorship program that allows tribes to purchase health plans for community members. (Photo: Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez / KFF Health News)
A new sponsorship program in Nevada is seeking to get more tribal citizens covered and protected from accumulating debt from uninsured medical care.
Alex Gonzalez has more.
According to reporting from KFF Health News, while some tribes already participate in Nevada Health Link’s program, they’re wanting to get more on board.
The initiative allows tribes to buy health insurance through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Advocates, such as Jim Roberts with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, contend the sponsorship model increases access to coverage by giving Native folks a chance to search for medical care outside the tribal care system.
“I think sponsorship programs bring case management to that process, to allow people to understand what their options are so that they can get enrolled. Left to their own devices, this is a segment of the population that might not traditionally enroll in Medicaid or in an insurance program.”
Roberts adds that because sponsorship in some tribes isn’t limited to just enrolled tribal members, it can impact whole communities. But he is worried that under the Trump administration, enhanced tax credits for marketplace enrollees will sunset by the end of the year if Congress doesn’t extend them — meaning premiums could go up significantly.
Proponents say the sponsorship program is making a difference for Native American patients, but more work is needed to build community trust.
While Nevada Health Link used Washington state’s program as reference, Roberts says the Silver State’s approach is different.
“But in terms of Nevada really getting behind it and asking the QHPs [qualified health plans] to work with tribes to set these up, I think that is unique.”
Roberts wants to remind folks they won’t lose their Indian Health Service coverage by participating in the sponsorship program, but will rather help fill in vital gaps in the health-care system.
“By providing resources that can then get billed for the care that they’re receiving, and likewise those resources can be used to expand care to the tribal population as a whole, then it’s a win-win situation.”
This story includes original reporting by Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez for KFF Health News.
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