Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 2004)
Spflyqy Tyvnoo, Warm Springs, Oregon Octohe 28, 2004 Page 5 What's new at Indian Health Services By Roberta Queahpama IHS administrative assistant The Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center, or "the clinic," has an annual require ment placed upon the Indian Health Service to gather from patients information to keep their records current. This is now more important than in the past. The information is critical for receiving care and maintaining your eligibility for health ser vices. 1 Why is it more important this year? Well, in a previous article it was announced that the clinic was implementing an electronic health record. The information that you provide supports your health record and begins the process for the rest of your health care visit. Sometimes its easy to answer with "nothing has changed," then go on to your appointment, after your health visit. What if the Doctor needs to mail information to you or to contact you by telephone? He might be calling the wrong tele phone number or mailing your1 next appointment to the wrong address. . The medical team is reliant on the information you have provided in your registration file. One of the most confusing messages is about applying for the Oregon Health Plan. This requirement was estab lished by Congress when Con tract Health Care Services was first established. It is not new. It has gained more impor tance as money to run Indian Health Services programs has become and is becoming less and less. Indian Health Service staff are required to ask you to apply for the Oregon Health Plan, if there is a good chance you will qualify for state assistance. Don't feel bad about apply ing for this resource. We are privileged to have access to this source of funding for health care, because many of our non Indian neighbors are losing their OHP benefits as State money is becoming more limited. We are fortunate that Con gress sends money to the State but we (IHS) must bill for these monies; and that is the reason we have you apply so that we can capture these monies to stretch IHS resources. On your next clinic visit or appointment, remember to bring along your most current Oregon Health Plan card, your Medicare Card, supplemental insurance card, and social secu rity card. We also have other federally recognized Indians living among us. When they come in they need to bring in their official enroll ment documents from their home reservations. Without your enrollment or an official letter of descendancy from a federally recognized tribe, we will not be able to provide any health care. Keep us on our toes, by re minding us we forgot to ask you for the latest information. We need to know if your insurance policy carrier has changed. If your insurance carrier has sent you any information, let us know about the change or ask us to help you understand what you have been sent. When you have a new baby and you have to bring the baby in for their first shots, you can come in before the baby is due and start establishing a new health record. The chart starts with the baby's last name, then when you bring in the baby, a new chart is already established and patient registration updates the baby's file by putting in their new name. We will also need a recogni tion of tribal descendancy on file before the baby gets enrolled with the tribe. You can pick up the form in advance, and have Vital Statistics or send to your Tribal Enrollment to have them sign the form for the new health record file. Newborns from par ents enrolled in Confederated Tribes are granted temporary Contract I Iealth Care coverage until they are enrolled. Thank you for listening, niix pachwai! -MEMORIES IN STONE- Custom Designed Memorials ' Hand Engraved in Goldendale for over 18 years. Pioneer Rock & Monument 509-773-4702 201 CraftonRd. P.O. Box 348, Goldendale, WA www.pioneerrock.com ffk ft..,, ft R fl r? , .... , ,r? -Demolition 'v-...J J U H U ' r: -Driveways r . . -Top Soil l-n(?llWlW -Water, sewer L" hookups (541) 553-1471 Cf -Cattle guards P.O. Box 535 mSSm -Home sites Warm Springs, OR 97761 'Debris removal CB No. 89498 -Rock products Locally owned and operated I All work guaranteed The Spilyqy Tymoo reaches more tribal member households than any other newspaper in Oregon. Help available with winter heating Help with winter power bills is available for low-income families, through the Low In come Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program is federally funded. This is not an entitle ment program; and instead pro vides assistance for households affected by costs of home en ergy that are excessive to their home. The program this year is the same as last year, and provides a one-time payment during each heating season. The program helps, but does not pay all the home's heating costs. '.- Eligibility: Any household whose income is at or below 60 " percent of the statewide median income for Oregon. Poverty levels are based on household income and house hold size. The Energy Assis tance Program Manual lists those poverty guidelines that are effective for this year's program. Both homeowners and rent ers are eligible. Tribal Social Services will process applications for assis tance from low-income house holds. Payments will be made to fuel suppliers who sign contracts with the agencies, applicants whose suppliers have not signed contracts, or applicants whose heat is included in their rent, 'v The amount of assistance a", household receives ' is ' deter mined by several factors: The amount, household in come, household size and the climatic region of the state where the household is located. Tribal Social Services will begin taking applications for as sistance no later than Dec. 1. Along with regular home owners and renters, people whose housing and utility costs are subsidized may be eligible to receive assistance. Call Odessa Jones-Anderson, energy assistance coordinator, at 553-3491 for information. LIHEAP benefits are issued on a first-come first-serve ba sisIwith outreach beinjgf offered to seniors, disabled familie$VitJit' children 5 and under, j ' 1 SiSStMS $ Instant Cash $ Buy - Sell - Consign WW 'I'm mxtt'ty spy; tern n Celebrating our 3rd Anniversary Tools, video games, movies, electronics, jewelry, licensed gun dealer, 210 Culver Hwy St. E i ii.i- m i.. i Commodities can help provide for winter Pastor Rick Ribeiro is en couraging people to be con scious of the best way to ensure a sufficient household supply of food for the winter. There are two sources for people on limited income: the debit card, and the tribal Com modities program. Ribeiro said he is running into an increasing incidence of people needing help with food because their debit card ran out for the month. The card may be convenient, he said, but Commodities can provide a lot more food. This is especially important during the winter, when transportation can be restricted, he said. A person cannot rely on both the debit card and Commodities; so it is important to choose wisely, said Ribeiro. He explained that the debit card is intended to be a supple ment to the person's income; whereas Commodities is in tended to provide the main source. As winter is approaching, people may want to consider switching from Debit to Com modities, he said. Gathering at bridge to raise awareness of abuse A gathering at the Deschutes Crossing Bridge this Saturday, Oct. 30, will mark the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The gathering will be at 1 1 a.m. at the bridge. For infor mation call Victims of Crime at 553-2293. 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