To keep up with increased constituent Health Benefit usage for specific medications, the Ninth Osage Nation Congress approved an additional $500,000 appropriation during the 2025 Hun-Kah Session.
On April 9, Congress approved bill ONCA 25-50 (Revard), which is “An Act to authorize and appropriate $500,000 to the Osage Nation Health Benefit Fund.” According to the bill, the funding will come from the Nation’s Retained Revenue Fund, which contains unobligated money from the previous fiscal year.
Accounting officials met with the Congressional Health and Social Services Committee to discuss the appropriation request during initial bill consideration. Revard said the request came from the Treasurer’s office after an analysis of the Nation’s revolving funds, including the Health Benefit Fund.
Rebecca Moetala, budget analyst for the Treasurer’s office, told the committee, “I wanted to review (the fund) in March just to make sure we’re on track for our expenditures for the fund. Typically, this fund spends about $13.5 million a year. As you know, during (the 2024) Tzi-Sho Session, I believe the request was around $10 million … because we had $3 million left in that fund balance.”
Moetala said the office was informed that the health benefit usage has increased and is being used to pay for drugs prescribed for diabetes and weight loss purposes, such as GLP-1 products. “We are hitting a little bit more or expending a little bit more than originally thought,” she said of the trend and request for additional health benefit funding.
Congresswoman Brandy Lemon, also committee chair, said she was not surprised by the trend and said the research was helpful to justify the bill’s spending request. Those name brand drugs trending in upward use for diabetes and weight loss treatment include Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy, she said.
Congresswoman Whitney Red Corn added “I’m glad you’re doing that (research), Rebecca, just to see what people are actually spending our money on, I think this is really important … This is also an important trend for our (Wahzhazhe Health Center) clinic to be paying attention to, on what our people are spending their benefit funds on.”
ONCA 25-50 passed with a 10-0 vote with two absences by Congress members Eli Potts and Alice Goodfox. Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear signed the bill to take effect afterward.
For more information and downloadable forms regarding the Nation’s Health Benefit program, constituents can visit: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/services/health-benefits-information
