government
Budget increase urged for American Indian health programs
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 27, 2012
A Western Senate lawmaker said more funding is needed to improve patient access to programs offered by the Indian Health Service.
The Senate Finance Committee held an Aug. 8 field hearing in Crow Agency, Mont., to discuss ways to improve health care for American Indians. Officials have pointed to health professional shortages in facilities on Indian territories. For instance, 20% of positions for physicians have not been filled in some areas, and vacancy rates for nurses and dentists are as high as 15%.
“The state of health care in Indian country is unacceptable,” said Finance Chair Max Baucus (D, Mont.). “American Indians deserve top-notch health care that’s responsive to their needs. We must use all available resources to make sure we are doing the best we can to turn Indian country health care around.”
Funding issues also have led to the denial of 220,000 claims for health services and resulted in thousands of patients going without care, Baucus said. President Obama has proposed a 2.7% increase in funding in 2013 for the Indian Health Service budget, to just over $4.4 billion.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/08/27/gvbf0827.htm.
