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Title: Promoting Health Coverage of American Indian and Alaska Native Children

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2019

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Abstract: Eighth in a series of briefs on the future of children's health care coverage Promoting Health Coverage of American Indian and Alaska Native Children Courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action Key Findings z z American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children are more likely than other American children to be uninsured and in poor health. Reducing the rate of uninsured AI/AN children is essential to reducing their health disparities. z z There are three main sources of coverage for low-income AI/ AN children: the Indian Health Service (IHS), Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The relationships among these coverage sources and how they apply to AI/AN children are highly complex. This increases the difficulty of reducing the uninsured rate for these children. z z The quality of national data on coverage and health disparities among AI/AN children is weak. Without sufficient and timely data, it will be difficult for federal, state, and Tribal policymakers to develop effective solutions for reducing the uninsurance rate and improving the health outcomes of this population. Summary Health disparities in the American Indian and Alaska Native populations (AI/AN) have existed since the arrival of the European settlers, who brought with them new germs and disease. Today, AI/AN children are more likely than other children to live in poverty, to die as infants, and to be exposed to violence. Yet for these children, access to quality health care is too often elusive. The types of coverage that do exist are patchwork, difficult to navigate, and under-resourced. The relatively small size of the population spread across a number of states makes it hard to find reliable information on health access and outcomes, especially for children. Given the special responsibility that the federal government has toward Indian Tribes, it is imperative that the federal government take steps to determine how well existing programs are working, to make any necessary improvements, and to provide the funding required to ensure AI/AN children live healthy and productive lives.

Url: https://ccf.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/AI-AN-health-coverage.pdf

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Authors: Roygardner, Lauren; Schneider, Andy; Steiger, Doug

Publisher: Georgetown University

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Health, Other, Population Health and Health Systems

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