Vote number 08-S025 allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare
on Feb 14, 2008 regarding bill SA.4034 to SA.3899 to S.1200 Tribal Member Choice Program
Results: Amendment rejected, 28-67

CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY:

TRIBAL MEMBER CHOICE PROGRAM: Members of federally-recognized Indian Tribes shall be provided the opportunity to voluntarily enroll, with a risk-adjusted subsidy for the purchase of qualified health insurance in order to--
1. improve Indian access to high quality health care services;
2. provide incentives to Indian patients to seek preventive health care services;
3. create opportunities for Indians to participate in the health care decision process;
4. encourage effective use of health care services by Indians; and
5. allow Indians to make health care coverage & delivery decisions & choices.

SUPPORTER'S ARGUMENT FOR VOTING YES:Sen. COBURN: The underlying legislation, S.1200, does not fix the underlying problems with tribal healthcare. It does not fix rationing. It does not fix waiting lines. It does not fix the inferior quality that is being applied to a lot of Native Americans and Alaskans in this country. It does not fix any of those problems. In fact, it authorizes more services without making sure the money is there to follow it.

Those who say a failure to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is a violation of our trust obligations are correct. However, I believe simply reauthorizing this system with minor modifications is an even greater violation of that commitment.

OPPONENT'S ARGUMENT FOR VOTING NO:Sen. DORGAN: It is not more money necessarily that is only going to solve the problem. But I guarantee you that less money will not solve the problem. If you add another program for other Indians who can go somewhere else and be able to present a card, they have now taken money out of the system and purchased their own insurance--then those who live on the reservation with the current Indian Health Service clinic there has less money. How does that work to help the folks who are stranded with no competition?

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Amendment rejected, 28-67

Categorized under Health Care

Voting NO counts for 2 points on VoteMatch question 5:
More federal funding for health coverage;
Voting YES counts for -2 points on VoteMatch question 5.