Indian Health Service: “Don’t get sick after June.”

Here’s a Fox network story/video on Indian Health Care.

The content within the video is true, as I’ve seen and heard hundreds of similar stories about the Indian Health Service through friends and family and a decade of news reporting in Indian Country. The story here on Fox is not an exaggeration. On the other hand, the Fox video works hard to convince people that if the federal government has a hand in health care, everyone would suffer the same as the Natives in the video.

I sincerely doubt the tragedy of health care in Indian Country would ever be allowed to happen to the rest of the country. Congress has short-changed Indian health care because they could. Native people make up only about 1 percent of the U.S. population. We have had few people to stand up and advocate on our behalf. As the health care reform debate continues, I hope more media outlets and grassroots organizers bring more attention to the IHS policy of “life or limb,” meaning you’re likely to get medical help if you are likely to die or need a limb amputated.

Jodi Rave