Abstract
Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) serve as community centers, providing culturally responsive services to urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. The majority offer patient navigation, which helps clients with scheduling and understanding treatment plans. They also provide insurance navigation, assisting clients with accessing eligible health insurance plans. Given their unique standing in a competitive marketplace, and since most UIOs require their clients to be enrolled tribal members, providing enrollment verification services is needed. Currently, prospective clients are responsible for verification, with no support provided. This can be a significant issue as UIOs serve a large number of AI/ANs, with tribal affiliations across the country, and clients may not have the resources to connect with their Tribe to obtain verification of enrollment. We propose that IHS and UIOs implement tribal enrollment verification services at all UIOs nationwide, similar to those implemented by the Native Forward Scholars Fund, which verifies eligibility for scholarships through direct contact with Tribal Nations/Tribes. This would address a key gap in services provided and a unique challenge that only UIOs face in their markets. Tribal enrollment navigation programs are a natural progression of current support services for AI/AN populations who utilize UIOs for care.
Recommended Citation
Carson, William O.; Cordova-Marks, Felina M.; Upshaw, Byron E.; Curley, Caleigh; and Molina, John W.
(2026)
"The Need for Tribal Enrollment Verification Programs at Urban Indian Organizations,"
Journal of Indigenous Research: Vol. 14:
Iss.
2026, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol14/iss2026/3
