Starting next year, Medi-Cal will cover traditional healing practices for Native Americans seeking treatment for substance use.
Medi-Cal will expand its coverage to services provided by Native American traditional healers, including herbal medicine, music therapy and spiritual interventions, like rituals.
San Jose Spotlight reports It will also cover services provided by natural helpers, including counseling and trauma support. A natural helper is a health advisor who gives recovery and social support in the context of tribal cultures.
California is one of four states to cover traditional health care practices, along with Arizona, New Mexico and Oregon, where it's known as Medicaid.
Elisa Alvarado, member of Red Earth Women's Society, told the Spotlight. "It's a very positive thing that Medi-Cal will reimburse community clinics, in particular Indian health centers, for traditional medicine therapies and interventions.”
The state plans to connect with tribes and tribal partners to develop guidance in the coming months.
Native Americans had the highest rates of opioid deaths among any racial group in 2022, and an overall higher rate of substance use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Little more than one percent of Santa Clara County's population identifies as American Indian or Alaskan Native.
