Help for Osages with disabilities now available

Osage Nation Financial Assistance provides financial help for qualifying Osages with disabilities

By ON Communications

PAWHUSKA, Okla. (June 30, 2016) –The Osage Nation has earmarked $50,000 to provide additional financial assistance for qualifying disabled Osages. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis and applications are available online now.

Policy, procedures, and an application were launched on June 15 and a number of applications have already been received. Financial Assistance Director Jodie Revard has been working with her staff to develop an efficient and fair process for the new program.

She said that to date, nineteen applications have been processed including one infant, twelve elders, and five veterans in just eleven business days.

Osage Congresswoman Alice Buffalohead presented ONCA 15-107, legislation to fund financial assistance for disabled Osages, during the Osage Nation Congress 2016 HunKah Session in April. The funding was approved by eleven members of the Congress with only one “NO” vote from Congresswoman Shannon Edwards. The Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department was charged with developing the program and began the speedy process of making the funding available as quickly as possible.

“The [Osage] constituents I have spoken with are very happy about the Health Benefit card,” said Buffalohead about the Osage Nation’s health assistance program that provides enrolled Osage citizens up to $1000 every year for health related costs. “The truth of the matter is that if a disability is that big the $500 or $1000 from the Health Benefit card, depending on their age, it’s eaten up very quickly.”

According to the new program’s policy, “funds are available to all members of the Osage Nation with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more ‘major life activities’…limited to $1,000 per person, per fiscal year (October through September), and shall be awarded in the order applications are received.”

For more information about the Osage Nation Financial Assistance Department and the Disability Assistance Program call 918-287-5326 or visit them online at www.osagenation-nsn.gov/financial-assistance and download an application.

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For Media Inquiries:

Osage Nation Communications | 918-287-9746 or communications@osagenation-nsn.gov