American Indian & Alaskan Natives

 

“If I could change one thing about Medi-Cal, it would be to have a choice between holistic and synthetic medicine.”

Session Infographic (PDF)

Overview

• Community Partner: Bakersfield American Indian Health Project
• Location: Bakersfield, CA
• Date: November 16, 2023
• Population: Tribal Medi-Cal Members

Things We Heard

• Cultural humility and understanding in interactions with health care providers
• Organizations that understand the community
• Incorporating American Indian beliefs and traditions in health care
• Navigating changes to Medi-Cal coverage or health plans
• Limited dental benefits and services

Population of Focus

As of September 2023, approximately 55,000 Medi-Cal members identified as American Indian and Alaska Native. Indigenous communities in California experience intense health disparities. American Indian and Alaska Native individuals have the lowest life expectancy compared with other races and ethnicities (71.8 years). They are also more than twice as likely to die from diabetes than White people, and they have the highest rate of suicide compared with all other racial and ethnic groups (28.1 per 100,000). In addition, American Indians are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault compared to all other races, and one in three American Indian women report having been raped during her lifetime.