Native Americans and Health Insurance: The Role of the Tribe

• In Event: 452 - Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 15. Race and Health II

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of tribal affiliation on health insurance coverage for Native Americans, and examines how socioeconomic factors impact this relationship. Prior research has established significant disparities in health insurance coverage for Native Americans compared to other racial groups. However, we still do not know how health insurance coverage differs by tribe, and what factors might impact tribes differently in relation to health insurance. The current study fills this gap using data from the American Community Survey between the years 2008-2012 to compare different types of health insurance coverage across seven different Native American/Alaska Native tribes. Using logistic regression, the results suggest that there are significant differences in health insurance coverage by tribe, and that these differ for public/private insurance coverage compared to coverage through Indian Health Services. I argue that differences between tribes need to be taken into consideration when studying health insurance disparities in Native American communities, and that factors such as poverty, employment status, and education play a role in determining which tribes have higher levels of health insurance coverage. Future research should further examine how tribal affiliation impacts health as well as other outcomes for Native Americans, and expand studies on the role of Indian Health Services.

Author

• Jillian Kavanagh, Temple University