All tribal members should receive care
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Thank you for your response, Acting Director Mr. Kevin Howlett.
Indeed the Contract Care is a different agency; that is why my appeal went to the Billings office and the second letter of appeal to Maryland, never to Tribal Health in St. Ignatius. It is my understanding that Contract Care is an agency within the agency of Tribal Health and mandated under Tribal Health. As I recall reading, mandated means to administer or assign as territory under a mandate; mandate: an authority’s command. I’m aware of the Council’s unfortunate position to have had to try and resolve the medical needs of the people. My own personal health issue was directed to go before the Council by close friends; my answer was no because my own personal opinion is that I felt it was not the Council’s responsibility to find a solution.
For those who wish to make an appeal, the recent appeal granted to me by the authority of the Maryland office was one of many that were successful. The codes that are used to deny your medical care are not easy to understand. I was wronged by the diabolical Contract Care department when they claimed my medical need was not an emergency, which was a crock of dog doo. The codes are kind of similar to the federal probate codes; for example, if they claim CFR 36-e is the reason it is denied, usually several other codes apply to that one, like CFR22a and C101abc. They are not sending all the information to you. It is impossible to send the entire book of codes they go by; it’s most likely 12 inches thick. I requested more information on the code they used against me and found that my injury had impaired me, which fell under another code. That is why it was overturned. On Dec. 28, 2014, there was televised coverage of the Montana health forum and many directors for the Tribal Health from around Montana were present. They spoke of the Contract Care, which is also known as Preferred Services, IHS. They spoke of that agency being separate from Tribal Health Services and also stated how it is regulated under the Tribal Health. They stated that people are always getting turned down for care and they spoke about how people are stuck with bills. No one spoke about helping the eligible patients appeal any of these problems, nor did they speak of setting any means up in the future to help them do so. Nor does our very own Tribal Health. I’m not convinced Tribal Health is not joined at the hip with Contract Care; when it has been severed, terminated, abolished will I believe. And as far as the statement by Mr. Howlett about the $8 million then the $16 million that had been spent, so what? The price our ancestors paid for our treaty rights is irreplaceable.
I would think the biggest lawsuit in history against the Federal Government should be in order. The United Treaty states all tribal members shall receive medical care that reside within the interior boundaries of the reservation. Doesn’t sound like we are receiving it.
