Many Oneida Tribe members are now feeling the pinch from the curtailing of health services due to the Federal Government shutdown.
This letter in the October 3, 2013 issue of the Kalihwisaks lays it out:
What it doesn’t explain is that the Tribe’s contribution to Contract Health is $2 million dollars per year, but the Health Center requires about $67,000 per day to operate, which means about 29 days of operability with no Federal dollars coming in.
The letter doesn’t address the fact that there will supposedly be no layoffs for the roughly 480 grant-funded Tribal positions despite the fact no grant monies will be coming in during the shut down.
It doesn’t explain whether or not Debbie Danforth’s reported $1,000 monthly stipend to access medical records after hours will continue.
The letter also fails to mention reports that $3 million is currently ear-marked for Health Center staff bonuses.
These are all points that need to be raised at the Wednesday October 9, 2013 Business Committee Regular Meeting.
UPDATE: FORWARD CLAIM PAYMENT
Following some indirect questions and pushback from Business Committee members the following was sent on October 11, 2013 to Council member Melinda Danforth via email:
With regard to the $3 million that was mentioned in a recent post on OneidaEye.com …we were wondering if you’d care to comment on reports that the Oneida Health Center has a budgeted item referred to as ‘Forward Claim Payments’ and whether these funds might possibly be being booked as revenue and used for bonuses depending on whether ‘excess’ revenue is accrued?
What specifically, if anything, is the ‘Forward Fund’ earmaked for?
We have received no word back and encourage Tribe members to inquire likewise of the entire BC.
