Tescha Hawley, a member of the Gros Ventre Tribe, discovered that her son’s birth hospital bills had been sent to debt collectors, halting her plans to buy a house. Despite the federal government’s promise to pay for her care through the Indian Health Service’s Purchased/Referred Care program, she still faced years of financial consequences, including damaged credit scores. A federal report highlighted that Native Americans faced disproportionately high rates of medical debt due to problems with the program, leading to difficulties in accessing loans and federal aid. Proposed legislation aims to address these issues, but challenges remain in enforcing the rules and ensuring proper funding for Native American health care.
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Native American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes
