January 2011 Blogs

The Cost of Repeal for American Indians and Alaska Natives

There has been some talk about repealing the Affordable Care Act in Congress. I can’t think of a worse idea. The cost of repeal to American Indians and Alaska Natives would be devastating. The permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, which Tribes supported for over 10 years, is in the Affordable Care Act. The cost of repeal would be the loss of all the new updates, programs and services that we are currently implementing. Repeal of the Affordable Care Act would also cause American Indians and Alaska Natives who want to purchase health insurance to lose out on more affordable options. The expansion of Medicaid coverage, which would help so many in our communities would disappear. We cannot afford to take that step backwards.

Video: Stop Bullying Now in Indian Country

As the issue of children and young adults being bullied has come to national attention, I wanted to make a video to call attention to this growing problem in Indian Country. As you may know, bullying is a common experience for many children. Research suggests that as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years. The effects of bullying can be serious – it can cause kids to skip school and can negatively impact their health. My video is posted below with advice for parents and children on how to stop bullying. Please help build strong and healthy Indian communities by sharing this video and its advice. Another helpful resource is the HHS website Stop Bullying Now! Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Thank you.

Download Video [MP4 - 41MB] | Transcript [WORD - 33KB]