Biden signs order shoring up familyhealth care access – Tahlequah Daily Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. – National Indian Health Board Vice Chairman Nickolaus Lewis (Lummi Nation Tribal Council), and NIHB CEO Stacy A. Bohlen (Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa) were part of a historic executive order signing event to make health care more accessible for American families.
The event brought together former President Obama with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The executive order will fix a glitch in the Affordable Care Act and open the path for American families to gain access to affordable health care. The order that will strengthen the Affordable Care Act and Access to Medicaid.
“It’s been an honor to be invited to this event and witness in person the words and testimony of President Biden, Vice President Harris and former President Obama regarding the Affordable Care Act, especially knowing the importance of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, which was permanently reauthorized as part of the ACA,” Lewis said. “With this executive order, we acknowledge that the work isn’t yet done, but this important step makes health care accessible to even more Americans. It’s continuing to take another step in the right direction of improvement, while we work together in a bipartisan manner to improve both the ACA and the IHCIA for the betterment of our loved ones who rely on it for their life-saving health care.”
The Affordable Care Act was passed on March 23, 2010. Along with fighting for permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, NIHB and tribal allies also advocated for, and won, several Indian-specific provisions in the ACA, including;
• Authorization for third-party reimbursement to the Indian health system through Medicaid.
• Designating the Indian Health Service as the payor of last resort.
• Zero-cost sharing for premiums and co-pays for the Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid.
• Monthly open enrollment or opt out of ACA for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Since the signing of the ACA, health care coverage expansion significantly improved and increased the health coverage among American Indians and Alaska Natives. In 2012, 24.2 percent of AI/AN were uninsured in the U.S. In 2019, 15.4 percent of AI/ANs were uninsured. The fall in the proportion of AI/ANs uninsured from 2012 to 2019 represents a decrease of 36% in the ratio of uninsured AI/ANs in the U.S. This law ultimately contributed to roughly 300,000 AI/ANs obtaining health coverage by 2020. That number has grown significantly as the special provisions and protections AI/ANs have through health insurance are shared through outreach and education.
The use of health insurance has given AI/ANs options when obtaining care outside of federally operated or tribally-operated facilities, including more comprehensive health services, wherever available in their communities. In addition, the Indian Health Service and its Indian/Tribal /and Urban sectors were able to collect more insurance and third-party health care revenue.
“These dollars are essential to offset the grossly underfunded I/T/U system,” said Bohlen. “Those funds are reinvested into making additional health care services possible.”
For more information, NIHB has several educational materials on protections and provisions for AI/ANs through Medicaid, CHIP and Health Insurance Marketplace.
Through the ACA, tribal members are eligible to receive no cost-sharing if their income is within 100% and 300% of the Federal Poverty Level if they enroll in a Qualified Health Plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
They can continue to use the IHS, tribal or urban Indian health care programs while also continuing to access coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Coverage will become more affordable for nearly a million more Americans, and 200,000 more will gain coverage.
To learn more about how the Health Insurance Marketplace for AI/ANS or to enroll into a health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, go to healthcare.gov.
