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About Char-Koosta News (Pablo, Mont.) 1985-current | View This Issue
Char-Koosta News (Pablo, Mont.), 13 Oct. 1987, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn87001367/1987-10-13/ed-1/seq-2/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
Tom Keast, director of the IHS Flathead Service Unit, addresses the Tribal Council and about 100 quarterly meeting attendees on the subject of IHS eligibility changes. Keast, by the way, was honored in June with a PHS Outstanding Service Medal, awarded in Rockville, Maryland. IHS, from page one 10, 1986: a requirement that eligible persons be of one-quarter or more American Indian or Alaska Native an cestry and a proposal to make non- Tribal Indians eligible for services if they are of at least one-half Indian descent. The new rules were prepared after a 150-day comment period, during which IHS convened more than 120 public meetings around the country and re ceived more than 11,000 comments. Under prior rules published in 1956, health services were provided to per sons of Indian descent who “belong to the Indian community served” by the local IHS health facility and program. No established degree of Indian ances try (blood quantum) was required, and the term “Indian community” was not defined. To be eligible for contract health services (services purchased from non-IHS hospitals and providers), a person was required to be eligible for direct care from the IHS, reside within a designated contract health service deliv ery area and either be a member of the local tribe or, if not a member, reside on that tribe’s reservation or have close social and economic ties with the tribe. People in that last category, which included Tribal members’ spouses, became uneligible for services in 1983. FSU director Tom Keast explained the new policy to about 100 people at the October 2 quarterly meeting in Pablo. The FSU will end up serving more people, he said, with about $100,000 less in its budget While an unknown number of unenrolled Kootenai and Salish descendents will be taken off the client list, additions will be made as the unit pickups members of other tribes living on or near the Flathead, he said. Also proposed for FY88, he contin ued, are tentative plans to have FSU clients use the IHS hospital on the Blackfeet Reservation for surgery. Such a plan could tentatively relieve the FSU of about $28,000, he said. Under the new scheme, beneficiaries would be issued “BICs” — beneficiary identification cards. While use of the cards wouldn’t be mandatory, non-use could result in delay of eligibility deter mination, according to an IHS news release. Tribal executive assistant Greg DuMontier told the Tribal Council that it should take formal action against the idea of taking part of the FSU’s budget for support of the Browning hospital’s surgery unit. Most kinds of operations can be done more conveniently here and at an equal or smaller cost than 200 miles away on the Blackfeet Reserva tion, he said. “The Tribal Council should take the Indian Health Service to task on this,” he said, earning a round of applause from the audience. St. Ignatius Council member Fred Matt replied that they have been protesting all along to IHS national headquarters in Maryland. Tribal Chairman Mickey Pablo con cluded that the Tribes may have to con sider legal action. In the meantime, questions about the new policy may be directed to the Flathead Service Unit at 745-2422 or to Margene Asay at the Tribal Health Dept, at 676- 2770. — CSKT’s C har -K oosta N ews EDITOR: Patti M. Blomquist REPORTER: Channel R. Tellier Printing by Char-Koosta Printing Pablo, MT 59855 The Char-Koosta News (ISSN 0893-8970) is published weekly by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, P.O. Box 278, Pablo, MT 59855, as a free-of-charge service to enrolled Tribal members. Second-class postage paid at Pablo, MT 59855, and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Char-Koosta News, P.O. Box 278, Pablo, MT 59855 (phone: 406/675-2700). Articles may be reprinted from the Char-Koosta News, but please give us proper credit. Pow wow and princess contest in St. Ignatius The annual Reservation-wide Pow Wow will be held at the St. Ignatius Indian Community Center Oct. 16 and 17 (this weekend), with a dinner (possibly potluck), stick games and the Jr. Miss Flathead pageant. Any young ladies interested in entering the contest can register with Debbie Paul at the pow wow. For details about the pow wow and princess pageant, contact Pow Wow Committee Chairman Bearhead Swaney at 676-2770 (weekdays only). PAGE 2 -- CSKT’s C har -K oosta N ews , P ablo , MT — O ctober 13, 1987 t
