Located in Washington DC on Capitol Hill, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), a non-profit organization, provides a variety of services to tribes, Area Health Boards, Tribal organizations, federal agencies, and private foundations. NIHB represents Tribal governments—both those that operate their own health care delivery systems through contracting and compacting, and those receiving health care directly from the Indian Health Service (IHS). The NIHB continually presents the Tribal perspective while monitoring federal legislation, and opening opportunities to network with other national health care organizations to engage their support on Indian health care issues. The only organization of its kind; dedicated to strengthening healthcare for all AI/ANs.
A large portion of NIHB’s is carried out in the realm of advocacy, policy formation, legislation, and tracking. It is for these reasons that we work to keep a pulse on the impacts being made on Tribal communities through Tribal and non-Tribal health reform. With many pending changes to the current health care environment and some already occurring, it is essential that NIHB collect and store the successes and failures of the health care reform for American Indian and Alaska Native throughout the nation up until this point. Knowledge of these stories will allow NIHB to be equipped in its own advocacy work moving forward and be better prepared to brief key decision makers, senators, and other individuals playing a role in the future of our nation’s health care and health reform impacting Tribal communities.
For these reasons, NIHB is conducting a Story Banking campaign to collect inspirational stories of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals achieving and sustaining health through the variety of health coverage options. These include: health insurance coverages such as Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In the past, the focus has been around success stories for AI/ANs Natives on the Health Insurance Marketplace. However, with potential changes in the current health care environment, highlighting the importance of a wider focus of health care impacts at the policy level for American Indians and Alaska Natives is relevant more than ever.
To facilitate these efforts NIHB now has an online google form to submit stories for this campaign. See this form HERE
The stories can be short and do not have to include the actual name of the participant or other sensitive details. NIHB staff wants to work with you to record your stories, for more information, please contact Chawin ‘Win’ Reilly at [email protected]