American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities experience longstanding challenges in accessing health care and disparate health outcomes. Understanding the health care delivery system for AI/AN people and advancing opportunities to meaningfully partner with Tribes can help state policymakers meet AI/AN health needs and reduce health disparities.
NASHP launched a three-part webinar series featuring strategies that states and Tribes are using to improve the delivery of services for AI/AN people The webinar series engaged hundreds of Tribal leaders and state officials from across 35 states to discuss the national landscape for health care delivery for AI/AN people, share best and promising practices, and exchange ideas around meeting health care needs of AI/AN communities. Innovative approaches to state-Tribe partnership in improving outcomes were key features of the discussions.
Below are webinar links, issue briefs, and additional resources that state officials can use to strengthen partnerships with Tribes on key health care priorities and improve health outcomes for AI/AN people.
Leveraging Medicaid Reimbursement for American Indian and Alaska Native Health care
American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have poorer health outcomes when compared to other Americans. Efforts to address these health disparities have been challenged by factors such as rural access barriers and a lack of culturally competent care, as well as limited Indian Health Service funding. In response, several states are working with Tribes to fund programs to support Indian health care providers and improve access to culturally competent care through Medicaid. This webinar and brief examine Arizona’s American Indian Medical Home program and Washington’s efforts to improve the behavioral health services delivered to AI/AN people.
Strengthening Long-Term Services and Supports for American Indian and Alaska Native Elders and People with Disabilities
Many American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) elders and people with disabilities would benefit from long-term services and supports (LTSS), and Tribes often deliver services such as transportation, meals, and home health to members. However, they often fund these services through Tribal funds due to lack of funding from other sources. This webinar and brief examine the current LTSS needs in AI/AN communities and explore efforts in Minnesota and Arizona to work with Tribes to improve the access of AI/AN to these services.
Improving the Delivery of Behavioral Health Services and Supports to AI/AN communities
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people experience higher rates of mental illness and substance use relative to other Americans. However, delivery of high-quality behavioral health services for AI/AN people is often complicated by the rural nature of most reservations, provider shortages, and a lack of culturally responsive health care. To meet AI/AN behavioral health needs, Tribes are increasingly managing their own behavioral health services with support from state partners. This webinar and brief post provide an overview of strategies used in Oregon to direct funding to Tribes for behavioral health services and show how federal, state, and Tribal partners in Oklahoma have coordinated to implement the state’s 988 line
Acknowledgments
Support for these webinars and briefs was provided, in part, by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. NASHP would also like to thank The John A. Hartford Foundation for its support of the webinar and issue brief “How States and Tribes Can Work Together to Improve Long-Term Care for American Indian/Alaska Native Elders and their Caregivers.” The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of these foundations.