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Show THE INDIAN may be the "vanishing "van-ishing American" but he Is more In evidence today than many seem to believe. At the time Columbus discovered the New World, there were an estimated esti-mated 846,000 Indians in America. Ameri-ca. Official U. S. census figures show there are almost 350,000 Indians living in the United States today. of Americans protected against the cost of hospital and doctor bills through insurance programs was estimated at 121 million at the end of 1958. Some 70 per cent of the nation's population now have health Insurance. A 1958 study by the U. S. Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare revealed progress in providing persons 05 years of age and older Among the ' traditional Indian tribes still in evidence today are the Navahos, Sioux, Cherokees, Iroquoians, .and the Algonquins. The only one of the United States which today claims no Indian citizens is Delaware. The state having the greatest Indian population popu-lation is Arizona, which has some 65,000, followed by Oklahoma, which has 54,000. California and North Carolina have sizeable Indian populations. Health insurance in the United States expanded on many levels in 1958 to continue the steady growth it has maintained for the last 20 years. Despite the general adjustment that took place in the national economy, a new record was reached when an estimated $4.8 billion in health care benelits were paid by all insuring organisations organi-sations during 1958 to help the public meet the cost of accident and sickness. This surpassed the 1957 benefit payment figure of $4 2 billion by more than 14 per cent. At the same time, the number with health insurance. The study showed that the number of older age persons with health insurance insur-ance was growing at a much faster fast-er rate than the senior citi7en population itself. The government report disclosed that the number of ''Americans 05 and over increased in-creased by 13 per cent from March 1952 to September 1958, while the number of senior citizens citi-zens covered by health insurance went up 56 per cent. It is estimated esti-mated that 40 per cent of the persons in this age category now have health insurance. Progress also was reported in the rural areas of ttie nation, where the farmer was found to be rapidly catching up to the city dweller in the amount of money he spends to protect his health. Government figures during the year show that farm families in 1941 spent an average of $15 a person for medical care, less than half the $32 spent for members mem-bers of urban families. By 1955, the individual spending level for farmers was $03, nearly 80 per cent of the estimated $81 laid out by city folks. |