Cross-Posted from ApachesVote.org
The Indian Health Service, long funded at less than half of the true need, would be further cut under a proposal from the Bush Administration.
While funding for Medicare and other health care programs rise at a rapid rate, the current administration has decided that Indians can get by on $21 million less despite high inflation in health care.
"The President’s FY 2009 budget request for the IHS is perhaps the worst budget submission for the Agency in at least fifteen years," says a highly respected study done in cooperation with multiple tribes by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board.
While it costs $3,903 to care for other non-elderly people in public health care programs nationwide, the IHS is expected to get by on $2,130 per person.
Allowing for population increase and inflation, the IHS budget is only a third of the size it was 1984, according to the study.
Full Analysis
(ApachesVote.org is a project to empower the Apache People and help turn Arizona blue by increasing voter registration and turnout on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. The Native American vote is key to winning AZ-01.)