Tribal communities can cover traditional health care practices through the Oregon Health Plan

The Nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon, in partnership with Oregon Health Authority (OHA), have received approval for traditional health care practices to be covered through the Oregon Health Plan (OHP/Medicaid) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The approval comes the from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

American Indian and Alaska Natives experience higher health disparities and a lower life expectancy than most other populations, according to a release from the OHA. There is a direct correlation between historical trauma and negative health outcomes. Better understanding of where ongoing health disparities stem from, acknowledges the true history of the nation and state.

Honoring Tribal Traditional Healing Practices with the Tribes of Oregon demonstrates a commitment by the state and federal government to support Tribes for improving health in tribal communities utilizing their own Tribal Based Practices, the OHA release states.

“It is long overdue that we recognize and provide true support for traditional health care practices and providers in Oregon’s tribal communities,” Oregon’s Medicaid director Emma Sandoe said. “This will help improve the quality of care, healthy outcomes and access to culturally appropriate health for tribal communities in the state.”

Tribes in Oregon, tribal entities and other academic advisors have met regularly since 2003 to gather information about indigenous practices within tribal communities that improve life and health outcomes.

OHA has recognized those as Oregon Tribal Based Practices and supported Tribes to utilize those practices, in many areas of health, with contracts and grant funding. It has been a long-standing goal to have some of those practices become Medicaid reimbursable. Because of those efforts, Oregon has become one of the first four states in the nation to receive a first-ever approval to cover traditional health care practices provided by Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, Tribal facilities, and the Urban Indian Organization (UIO).

“This is a great day for Tribal Health Programs," Ft. McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Tribe member and OHA’s Tribal Affairs Director said. "Our ancestors gave us the strength to endure survival for thousands and thousand of years, utilizing our traditional medicines, our cultural ways of life, our teachings of healing and wellness. We are grateful for our partnerships with the Nine Tribes in Oregon and our Urban Indian Health Program. They are the experts in our tribal communities, and we will continue to look to our elders, cultural keepers and tribal leaders to guide this work to improve health in Oregon.”

OHA officials said they will work closely with tribal partners toward implementation. Other states among the first to be approved include Arizona, California and New Mexico.

For more information about Oregon’s approval, visit the approval on Medicaid.gov.

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