8 AUGUST 1,2013
Smoke Signals
Save Our Skookum (SOS)
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the point of making members apply for Oregon
Health PlanMedicaid or other state coverage?
A: To save Tribal dollars. If you are eligible for a state plan, this
would become primary and pays claims before Skookum, which
saves Tribal funds.
Q: Does Tribal Council know you're doing this to the mem
bership? A: Yes. This was a directive from Tribal Council. (We are doing this
FOR the membership ... to benefit everyone by keeping the plan
sustainable.)
Q: What information can be submitted to the Skookum Sec
ondary Payer Group if I don't qualify for the state cover
age? A: Income verification, such as a pay stub or tax information showing
you are over the income limits would be acceptable.
Q: If I am an Elder receiving the Tribal Elder Pension, single
family of one, do I have to apply?
A: No, not if you are a single family of one, receiving the Tribal El
der Pension. The Skookum Secondary Payer Group will verify your
pension information with Member Benefits.
Q: If I am a married Elder receiving Tribal Elders Pension,
and my spouse is working, do I have to apply?
A: If you are a family of two, receiving Tribal Elders Pension, the
Skookum Secondary Payer Group will need to verify income informa
tion for your household to help determine whether or not you need
to apply for OHPMedicaid.
Q: If I have a primary insurance, do I have to apply?
A: No, not at this time. This will only affect Tribal members using
Skookum as their only coverage.
Q: Isn't my Skookum Health Program benefit insurance cov
erage? A: No, Skookum is not an insurance plan, therefore, it is not consid
ered to be insurance by definition. You should not reference Skookum
as insurance, as it is not. It is a benefit you receive from the Tribe
because you are an enrolled Tribal member.
Q: What happens if I do not comply?
A: Your claims will be suspended in a pending status at Shasta and
not paid until you fulfill your obligation. Once it is confirmed that
you have fulfilled your obligation, we will instruct Shasta to process
and pay your claims. - 'aii ' i
Q: I might be getting a job soon; if I do, should I drop my
Medicaid? r ;
A: Keep your Medicaid until you have new coverage in effect and
notify Medicaid of your change in status.
Q: How do I apply for Medicaid?
A: Many states have an online application and eligibility information
or you can call the Department of Human Services in your state to
learn about what is available to you.
Q: Will there be Tribal staff available to answer my questions
about applying for Medicaid?
A: Yes, there will be Tribal staff available to assist you with ques
tions. . . . A,
Q: Am I required to pay for insurance through my employ
er? A: We encourage those Tribal members with alternate resources,
such as employer sponsored insurance, to enroll in those plans and
use Skookum as a secondary coverage to pay for any balances that
are patient responsibility. But, at this time, you aren't required to
enroll in your employer plan if there is an associated premium that
you must pay. (But you may certainly choose to.) D
Thank you to everyone that has responded to this effort and
or provided necessary documentation. We look forwarding to
hearing from you! Please call with your questions.
Skookum Health Plan Secondary Payer Team
Barbara Steere 503-879-2487; Tauni McCammon 503-879-1406;
Erica Mercier 503-879-2080; Melody Baker 503-879-2011;
Tresa Mercier 503-879-2008; Jim Holmes 503-879-2221.
Save Our Skookum
: "CP
o
Photo by Michelle Alalmo
Tribal Council member Chris Mercier kayaks his way through The Big
Float 3 on the Willamette River in downtown Portland on Sunday,
July 28. The Tribe sponsored the event, which was expected to draw
2,000 people who floated from the Marquam Bridge to the Tom
McCall Waterfront Park Bowl.
' '1
' f -
V jV ' q : 1 1 !r'!-,i
( :! j- I . -v . m, .-4 .,...,..-.- . k i- .
y ' ' J ' ' W u - . r n t.i. i it) 9 .-j. m w ' iVj : " i '4 r-i j 1
t. , .
" )(b"HS
at Hunun Shr
American Indian Nations from
Termination to Restoration, 1953-2006
Roberta Ulrlch
When the U.S. government ended its reUUoruhip with doieru of Netlve
American tribes and bands between 1953 nd 1966, it was engaging in a massive
social experiment. Congress enacted the program, known as termination, in the
name of freeing" the Indians from government restrictions and improving their
quality of life. However, removing the federal status of more than nine dozen
tribes across the country plunged many of their nearly 13,000 members into
deeper levels of poverty and eroded the tribal people's sense of Native identity.
Beginning in 1973 and extending over a twenty-year period, the terminated tribes,
one by one, persuaded Congress to restore their ties to the federal government.
Nonetheless, so much damage had been done that even today the restored tribes
struggle to overcome the problems created by those terminations a half century
ago.
Roberta Ulrich provides a concise overview of all the terminations and
restorations of Native American tribes from 1953 to 1006 and explores the
enduring policy implications for Native peoples. This is the first book to
consider all the terminations and restorations in the twentieth century as part
of continuing policy while detailing some of the individual tribal differences.
Drawing from Congressional records, interviews with tribal members, and other
primary sources, Ulrich delves into the causes and effects of termination and
restoration from both sides.
Roberta Ulrich Is a retired newspaper reporter. She is the author of Empty Ntts:
Indians, Dams, and the Columbia Rivtr.
American Indian j
I Nations from j
!r . i
.:riv."atrn to j
.-.......i- ; , .
: Restoration.) j
'1
1953-2006
December aoio
351 PP- 5 V4 1 8 4 4 Illustrations, I (able
i4S.oo hardcover 978-0-8032-3364-1
$55.00 Canatliantio.99 UK
'Receive a 10 discount on this book
O36.00 plus (hipping) when you mention
discount code 6apio
UNIVIKIIT o .
t n n n a o tt a "
IVfA PRESS
co Longletf Service!, Inc.
po box 8895
Chapel Hill, nc 27515-8895
Available at bookstore or
Order toll-free: 8oo-4-4
Order by fax: 800-171-68 17
E-mail: cuitomnervicei?longl eaffcrvice3.org
Web: wwv.nebraakaprest.unl.edu
Please send me the books checked above
Subtotal
Shipping total
Grand total
D Check endosed O Discover Vis MC 0 AmEx
Account
Expiration Date
Signature cvv
Daytime Phooe please mention this code when ordering: 6a no
' For domestic: ordm. ptruc iM rfitpping ctisrfc of 6.oo for the lint book
tnd ti 00 tor Mch addnianil book. For inumMiorul orders, ptmtm add
ho.oo for the &r book tod 14.fi for etch atiditlotul book. Ail pnet ub)cct