Latest News On Indigenous Health

Latest Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Stories

This Northern Cheyenne Doula Was About To Start Getting Paid — Then Medicaid Cuts Hit

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Montana was on track to start reimbursing doulas, who support new and expectant parents, through Medicaid this year. But state officials halted that plan amid a budget shortfall. Other such services deemed optional under Medicaid are at risk nationwide as states brace for federal cuts.

Native Americans Are Dying From Pregnancy. They Want a Voice To Stop the Trend.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Native American women face higher rates of death than other demographics. In response, Native Americans have been working with state and federal officials to boost tribal participation and leadership in maternal mortality review committees to better track and address pregnancy-related deaths.

In Lodge Grass, Montana, a Crow Community Works To Rebuild From Meth’s Destruction

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Meth is a problem most everywhere, but particularly in Indian Country. On the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, new buildings serve as symbols of a town trying to rebuild after being devastated by addiction.

In the Vast Expanses of Indian Country, Broadband Gaps Create Health Gaps, Too

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

On Idaho’s remote Fort Hall Reservation, thousands live without reliable high-speed internet, which supports health care, education, and daily life. Facing delays and wavering federal policy, Frances Goli is determined to spend more than $22 million in federal grant money before she runs out of time.

Republicans Left Tribes Out of Their $50B Rural Fund. Now It’s Up to States To Share.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

The Trump administration has championed its Rural Health Transformation Program as an investment in American families who have been left behind. But Native American tribes, whose communities have a significant presence in rural America and have some of the greatest health needs, are ineligible to apply directly for funding.

Autoridades quieren retrasar la vacuna contra la hepatitis B. Lo que los padres deben saber

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Desde 1991, una dosis de la vacuna al nacer es hasta 90% efectiva para prevenir la infección transmitida por la madre si se administra en las primeras 24 horas de vida.

RFK Jr. Wants To Delay the Hepatitis B Vaccine. Here’s What Parents Need To Know.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

A CDC panel is reconsidering the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. Renewed doubt could lead to fewer kids getting vaccinated, leaving them vulnerable to an incurable, preventable virus that can be acquired by indirect contact with infected blood.

Native Americans Want To Avoid Past Medicaid Enrollment Snafus as Work Requirements Loom

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

As states prepare to implement changes to Medicaid required by President Donald Trump’s recent tax-and-spending law, tribal leaders say they are concerned Native American enrollees could lose their coverage, despite exemptions made by Congress.

Tribal Groups Assert Sovereignty as Feds Crack Down on Gender-Affirming Care

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Native American groups declare that tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for two-spirit and LGBTQ+ tribal citizens. Tribes are analyzing the risk of opposing Trump’s policies, advocates say.

Tribal Health Officials Work To Fill Vaccination Gaps as Measles Outbreak Spreads

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Native American tribes and health organizations are hosting clinics and calling patients to counteract low measles vaccination rates and limited access to health care as the disease spreads across the country.

Native Americans Hurt by Federal Health Cuts, Despite RFK Jr.’s Promises of Protection

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

The Indian Health Service was mostly spared in the federal government’s widespread staffing cuts, but tribal governments and organizations have lost funding elsewhere in the melee of federal health agency cuts.

Language Service Cutbacks Raise Fear of Medical Errors, Misdiagnoses, Deaths

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Federal cuts are hurting community organizations in California that provide language assistance services to people who speak limited English. Despite President Trump’s executive order declaring English the national language, millions in the U.S. need help navigating the health system.

Trump’s Fast-Tracked Deal for a Copper Mine Heightens Existential Fight for Apache

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Apache tribal members are already feeling psychological and spiritual harm as the Trump administration moves to fast-track a deal to turn their sacred land of Oak Flat, Arizona, into a copper mine.

Federal Cuts Gut Food Banks as They Face Record Demand

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Food banks nationwide are being pinched by record demand, high food prices, and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal budget cuts. As the economy plods onto shaky ground, food bank leaders hope Congress patches the holes by passing a new farm bill.

Amid Plummeting Diversity at Medical Schools, a Warning of DEI Crackdown’s ‘Chilling Effect’

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News Original

Enrollment of underrepresented groups at medical schools fell precipitously this academic year after the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on affirmative action. Education and health experts worry the Trump administration’s anti-DEI measures will only worsen the situation, even in states like California that have navigated bans on race-conscious admissions for years.