²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½

Last Updated: 09/26/2024

In the United States, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes are considered which means they have authority to govern and regulate themselves. While insurance is regulated by the states, AI/AN nations are free to regulate the business of insurance within their own territories.  

AI/AN nations deal with many of the same insurance issues as the rest of the country including, access to affordable healthcare, and , and availability of insurance products. 

In 2020, and the Indian Health Service (IHS) was facing major making receiving and providing healthcare difficult. This was exacerbated by the fact that up to . Although this number has dropped 12% around 18.8% of AI/AN people are still without health insurance.  

In 1921, U.S. Congress passed the Snyder Act, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This authority was moved from the BIA to the Public Health Service when the was passed in 1954. Public Health Services was made responsible for the It wasn’t until 1970 that the (made permanent in 2010) was passed that allowed AI/AN health programs to utilize Medicaid and Medicare.  

to help federally recognized tribes prepare for and respond to climate and hazards. FEMA provides an Individual Assistance Program, Post-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant, U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Program, Public Assistance Program, and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Despite the assistance provided by FEMA, very few tribes actually participate in the programs. A 2013 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that Tribal representatives recommended that FEMA might stimulate participation by  

The insurance industry has made diversity and inclusion a priority in recent years and the ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½ aims to provide an ongoing dialogue on the availability of insurance and other topics for American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN).  

 In 2013, the ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½ formed the ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½/American Indian and Alaskan Native Liaison Committee to provide a forum for dialogue between ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù¹Ù·½ Members and the American Indian and Alaska Native communities on insurance issues of common interest, including availability of insurance and consumer protection issues. The Committee also shares best practices for dealing with insurance issues unique to sovereign tribal nations.  

In 2024, the AI/AN is focused on establishing ongoing dialogues into new avenues and innovative solutions for providing access to affordable health care for Native Americans. At the Summer National Meeting, Spencer Davis gave a presentation on the , with the goal of addressing physician shortages in tribal communities.