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.
New
Computer Systems
$599 and up
1 yr. parts and labor warranty
and
1 month free internet
Computer sales, Service
and Repair
Computer Accessories
Palmain Internet Server
$19.95 unlimited access
Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5
Saturday 10-2
DOVE'S HOWIES EPect the best -"Eon't settle for less!
Poured concrete stemwall foundation
Homes 924 square feet to 2600 square feet
Custom changes available
Includes all utilities and escavation
required by Tribal Credit
Free Sky Dive with every purchase
1 i.i'foM
.jilt t....... ... - -- I
I JT
7 -4
M
i. rl
" Vv't
3
Join the off -site construction revolution today!
located behind Safeway in Madras, 680 NE Hwy. 97; 541-475-2766