Indianz.Com > News > Rodney Bordeaux: Indian Country can’t afford to wait for Medicaid
Medicaid remains a lifeline for Indian Country, but there’s more work to do
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
President, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
As President of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, I am a firsthand witness to the profound healthcare challenges that our people face, a crisis that confronts Indian Country nationwide.
Nationally, compared to white adults, American Indian adults are almost three times more likely to lack insurance. In South Dakota the disparity is even greater. At the same time, people in our communities are also much more likely to experience serious health challenges like obesity, a physical disability, or a substance use disorder, making access to healthcare that much more critical.
While the Indian Health Service (IHS) plays a central role in the healthcare system for American Indians, millions of us are enrolled in Medicaid, which is celebrating its 56th anniversary this month. Medicaid provides health insurance for more than 80 million Americans nationwide, including more than a quarter of non-elderly American Indian adults and half of our children. From 2013 to 2018, the uninsured rate among American Indians fell from 28% to 20%, thanks to the increased access to health insurance created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including a major expansion of Medicaid.
President Rodney M. Bordeaux is currently serving in his fourth term leading the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. He holds concurrent leadership positions with the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Association, the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, the National Congress of American Indians, and Dakotans for Health. Mr. Bordeaux received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Augustana College and a Master of Arts from Oglala Lakota College.
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