Indian Gaming; More than just a house bet for taxpayers
As recently as the late seventies, the average life span of a native California Indian was thirty-seven. Gaming in California has benefited both recognized tribal members and California residents as a whole, in part, by providing:
- Private health coverage for participating tribal members
- Expansion of access to preventative health education and immunizations for children on tribal lands
- Payment for services rendered in non-reservation out-patient clinics, community emergency rooms and hospitals -- services that once cost state taxpayers and/or fees that hospitals found impossible to recoup.
- Reduced dependency on state Medi-Cal programs
- Payments to medical care providers (for services rendered) far greater than a standard Medi-Cal/Government reimbursement
- High-end, full medical coverage for over 8000 employees at northern California casinos alone, a great majority of whom are not native Indians
- Direct funding of research grants for cancer (UC Davis), diabetes, and other diseases
I hope you'll join me for this important show featureing:
Howard Dickstein -- Counsel for five (5) northern California tribes & historical health-policy expert of California Indians
