Here's why Native Americans and Alaskan Natives have a shorter life expectancy than every other group in America:

Money.

Leaders in Washington have underfunded the Indian Health Service (IHS) for decades, leaving millions of rural indigenous residents without comprehensive medical care.

The Federal Government funds Indian Health Services, who, in turn, funds hospitals and clinics to serve American Indians and Alaskan Natives. But IHS is chronically underfunded and lacks the resources to provide crucial care, leaving folks to fend for themselves.

What little funding does exist is distributed unequally across states. So where you live can have a drastic impact on the quality of care you receive from IHS.

The disparate funding is about more than just who gets what. In areas where the IHS can't provide healthcare services they're supposed to pay for private sector care. But when funding is insufficient, IHS may not provide any funding for private sector care. And in states that have refused to expand Medicare, this often means indigenous people have no option but to pay out of pocket — a daunting prospect for any American.

For years, politicians have promised to increase access to health care resources, but little progress has been made, and tribal communities are suffering the consequences: higher rates of disease and shorter life expectancy.

In Montana, for example, the average life expectancy is twenty years shorter for indigenous people than other Americans. That means Native Americans men and women in Montana can expect to live for 56 and 62 years, respectively.

That's not even old enough to collect social security.

We are past the point of half measures. The One Country Project is fighting for rural communities that are left behind by leaders in Washington. Congress needs to fully fund the IHS and ensure tribal communities have the health resources they need to thrive, and that's what the One Country Project is fighting for.

More to come,

Heidi

Founded by former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), the One Country Project is dedicated to reopening the dialogue with rural communities, rebuilding trust and respect, and advancing an opportunity agenda for rural Americans. Our mission is to ensure rural America’s priorities and values are heard, understood, well-represented and reflected in policy in Washington.

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