Monterey, CA Affordable Care Act (Health Care Reform) Once Again Under Attack, This Time For Unintended Consequences Impacting Native American Indians

There has been a lot of controversy regarding President Barack Obama's health care reform (the Affordable Care Act), and certainly there are many pros and cons.  Some have just been unintended consequences.  The latest came up last week, when the Monterey Herald reported that about 1,000 Native American Indians in Monterey County and 21,000 in California may lose their health coverage because of an obscure clause in the Affordable Care Act.  The devil is always in the details, and in this case the details say that only Native American tribes which are recognized by the federal government will be exempt from the new rules.  The others must buy their own insurance or pay a $695 fine, losing the government insurance they have now.  "It's a piece of garbage," Rudy Rosales, a tribal member of the Monterey County based Esselen Nation told the Herald.  "All it does is to help recognized tribes, he said.  Other tribes like the Amah Mutsun and Muwekma are similarly affected.  About 9,500 Monterey County residents said they are Native American Indian on their census forms, although there are no tribes which are federally recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).  Representative Sam Farr (Democrat, Carmel CA) said he will look into a legislative fix.  I hope he is successful.  I am sure this is not what President Obama envisioned when he implemented health care reform.

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.