Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care Among American Indians and Alaska Natives

There are 2.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives(also referred to as Native Americans) in the U.S. population. They experience significant disparities compared to whites for many health indicators. The infant mortality rates among Native Americans are nearly one and a half times those of whites. Certain chronic conditions are also particularly high among Native Americans — for example, the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world is found among the Pima Indians of Arizona. Native Americans are disadvantaged in health in part because of their limited access to health insurance, their lower incomes, and decreased access to health care.