President Bush has proposed the elimination of the Urban Indian Health Program within Indian Health Service (I.H.S.). This proposal would effectively put First Nations Community HealthSource, the only urban Indian health program in New Mexico, out of business and leave a huge health crisis for 51,000 American Indians and Alaskan Natives in Albuquerque. American Indian and Alaskan Native patients would be forced to seek care elsewhere and pay for health services. Other urban Indian health programs nationwide report such a cut would result in bankruptcies, lease, defaults, elimination of services to thousands of American Indians and Alaskan Natives and the near annihilation of a body of medical and cultural knowledge addressing the unique cultural and medical needs of the urban Indian population held almost exclusively by these programs. According to the 2000 Census, nearly 70% of Americans identifying themselves as of American Indian or Alaska Native heritage live in urban areas. Notably the Urban Indian Health Program receives only 1% of I.H.S. funding, stretching those dollars to achieve extraordinary results.

Urban Indian Health Clinics provide unique and non-duplicable assistance to Urban Indians who face extraordinary barriers to accessing mainstream health care. The services provided by Urban Indian clinics CANNOT be effectively replaced by other health clinics.

· Urban Indian health programs address cultural barriers.

· Urban Indian health programs save costs and improve medical care by getting urban Indians to seek medical attention earlier.

· Urban Indian health programs are better able to address the fact that movement back and forth from the reservation has an impact on health status and care.

· Urban Indian health programs are key providers to the large population of uninsured American Indians and Alaskan Natives who might not go elsewhere.

· Urban Indian health programs reduce costs to other part of the Indian Health Service system by reducing their patient load.

RELVANT NEW MEXICO FACTS

· At least 51,818 American Indians live in the Albuquerque area and represent 338 federally recognized tribes. 75% of American Indians living in urban areas do not have health insurance and 24.9% live at or below poverty level.

· First Nations Community HealthSource (located in Albuquerque) is the only Urban Indian Health Program (UIHP) in New Mexico.

· First Nations Community HealthSource receives 60% of its funding through the UIHP. If the federal budget is approved, First Nations must eliminate primary care services and dental care and reduce behavioral health services by 60%.

· With 1.2 providers, First Nations Community HealthSource provides primary care to approximately 400 patients per month or 4,800 patients per year.

· First Nations Community HealthSource’s dental clinic is staffed by a full time dentist and hygienist and treats approximately 400 patients per month or 4,800 patients per year.

· If First Nations Community HealthSource eliminates dental care services, no facility in Albuquerque will provide oral health care without a fee to Native adults over 25.

· The Albuquerque IHS Dental Clinic (AIDC) provides comprehensive treatment to Native children and adults under 25. AIDC’s mission is to provide access to quality dental services and to improve oral health care for Indian people by focusing on prevention and good oral health in early childhood.

· AIDC receives $500k in funding from the UIHP, which funds three full time general dentists and one pediatric dentist. Loss of UIHP funding will eliminate 10,000 patient visits per year.

· Supporters of the UIHP budget elimination argue that urban Indians can seek care from a wide variety of other health care providers, however, community health providers are operating at capacity and are unable to provide care to additional patients.

· The University of New Mexico (UNM) Hospital faces severe capacity and financial problems. With long delays in the emergency room, each year 10,000 patients leave without being seen. Patients wait an average of 12.5 hours to be admitted and in some instances as long as four days. UNM Hospital has a $45 million gap in uncompensated care. This is not for billed services, but the cost to provide care.

· The Albuquerque Indian Health Center experienced a workforce reduction and the elimination of urgent care last year.

· Local providers in our community are urging the restoration of the Urban Indian Health Program budget. They cannot absorb the large number of Native patients that will be left without care when First Nations Community HealthSource eliminates primary care services.

· The elimination of UIHP will result in a health care crisis in New Mexico leaving 51,818 urban Indians without access to health care.

Please contact local representatives today to voice your opposition:

SENATOR PETE DOMENICI OFFICE AT 346-6791 (http://domenici.senate.gov/)

SENATOR JEFF BINGAMAN OFFICE AT 346-6601 (http://bingaman.senate.gov/)

REPRESENTATIVE HEATHER WILSON OFFICE 346-6781 (http://wilson.house.gov)

REPRESENTATIVE STEVE PEARCE OFFICE 505-522-2219 (www.house.gov/pearce)

REPRESENTATIVE TOM UDALL OFFICE 505-984-8950 (www.house.gov/tomudall)