1987-10-13 Char-Koosta News

              Chief Charlo of the Salish VOLUME 16, NUMBER 22
THE HUNTING
New eligibility rules
Indian Health Service to adjust client roster over the next year
Remember last summer when everyone was urged to testify at a public hearing in Pablo on the subject of IHS eligibility changes?
Eleven thousand pages of transcripts later after 120 hearings across Indian Country, the federal government has proposed a revised set of rules that is scheduled to go into effect March 16, 1988.
The new eligibility rules, as published
in the Federal Register on Sept 16, are:
• Beneficiaries must be enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe AND live in a designated health-service delivery area (on or near the Flathead Reservation, in the case of the Flathead Service Unit)
• The Tribal-membership requirement will be waived in the case of Indian children 18 years of age and younger who have at least one natural parent who's eligible for IHS services.
• A former resident of a designated health-service delivery area who is otherwise eligible (enrolled or a minor first-generation descendent) may receive direct services (offered at IHS-funded facilities such as the dental clinic in St. Ignatius) but not contract health care services.
• Anyone on IHS now who won't be eligible under the new rules will receive services for six months after the March 1988 date. During this transition period, which will end Sept. 16, 1988, they'll have time to find alternatives for future health care, such as private insurance or county or state aid.
The one-year transition period will also enable persons eligible but not enrolled as Tribal members to seek Tribal membership. Additional provisions are made for those under IHS care on the last day of the transition period or who have chronic degenerative conditions.
Deleted from the final rules are two provisions that appeared in a notice of proposed rulemaking published June (Concludes on page two)
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Last notice of primary deadline
This Friday (Oct. 16) is the deadline for signing up as a candidate for Tribal Council — see the election notice elsewhere in this issue for full particulars.
A special note for Arlee hopefuls: When you file your candidacy, indicate which term you're interested in — the two-year, recently vacated one, or the regular four-year term.
The names of the top two vote-getters for each of the six terms will appear on the general election ballot to be decided Dec. 12.
As we go to press, only two candidates have publicly declared themselves: Louie Adams, Arlee incumbent, and Vic Stinger. ^Pablo's representative since 1972._.