New Report on Lifelong Disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders

In November 2015 the AARP Public Policy Institute published an extensive report providing a national perspective on the sociodemographic characteristics of aging American Indians and Alaska Natives. Entitled “Lifelong Disparities among Older American Indians and Alaska Natives,” the report shares U.S. Census data from the American Community Survey and notes ongoing, substantial growth of AI/ANs ages 50 years and older. AARP recognized and thanked a panel of advisors who contributed to the report’s development and review including the Urban Indian Health Institute’s (UIHI) former Executive Director, Ralph Forquera; current UIHI Epidemiologist, Shira Rutman; and former UIHI Epidemiologist, Elizabeth Knaster. Also, Debra Whitman, AARP Chief Public Policy Officer, issued a blog post about the report and included the UIHI’s analysis showing a 34% increase among AI/ANs living in urban areas from 2000 to 2010.

The report authors noted that the historical socioeconomic disparities and health coverage inequities faced by older AI/ANs remain largely unchanged. Report highlights included:

• Lower life expectancies – AI/ANs ages 50 years and older are generally younger than the same-age U.S. population.
• Underfunded health care – The Indian Health Service budget for Fiscal Year 2015 was estimated to only meet 50% of the needs overall. For urban AI/ANs, the deficit is far greater. IHS estimated that it received only 22% of the funding needed for urban Indian health programs.
• More uninsured patients – Nearly double the number of AI/ANs (16%) ages 50 years and older are uninsured compared to the same-age U.S. population (8.5%).

The report authors shared recommendations for improved coordination of resources, including broader strategies to address the growing need for services for the increasing numbers of older AI/ANs living in urban areas.

Both the In-Brief summary of the report and the full report are available to download for free.