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Friday, November 07 2008 @ 07:03 AM EST Efforts to Reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in this 110th Congress are Shut Down
September 29, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caitlin Wesaw – 202.507.4070 or 202.302.6233 EFFORTS TO REAUTHORIZE THE INDIAN HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT ACT IN THIS 110TH CONGRESS ARE SHUT DOWN During this past week, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) worked tirelessly to have the House take up H.R. 1328, a bill to reauthorize and amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). The NIHB pursued several legislative strategies but at the 11th hour our efforts were shut down because Congress could not find funding to pay for the bill. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has scored the bill at $9 million for the first year, $53 million over five years, and $129 million over ten years. Yet, Congress was able to find $700 billion dollars to “bail out” Wall Street?? Last week the NIHB attempted to have the bill included in the Continuing Resolution (CR) passed by the House on September 24th and the Senate on September 27th. Unfortunately, the House Leadership decided to put forward a “clean” CR, funding federal agencies through March 6, 2009 and providing for appropriation increases for specific programs, such as low-income energy assistance, low-income food programs, and school loans. This past weekend, the NIHB tried to move Title II of H.R. 1328 as a stand alone bill. Title II contains amendments to the Social Security Act to improve American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) access to Medicare, Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Title II includes those provisions of the bill that result in increases in direct spending attributable to the Medicaid cost-sharing and Medicaid managed care exemptions. Unfortunately, House Leadership was not able to fund the first five years of the bill in an amount of $53 million. The NIHB will continue to pursue legislative strategies during the remainder of the 110th Congress. The $700 billion “bailout” legislation failed to pass the House on September 29th and Congress will return on Thursday, October 2, 2008 to continue work on this agreement. In addition, it is possible that Congress could return for a post-election, lame duck session in November. On September 23 – 25th, the NIHB celebrated its 25th Annual Consumer Conference. Our theme was: Unite for Health: Advocate Out Loud! We want to thank all of you who “advocated out loud” for passage of the IHCIA: our national Indian organizations [NCAI, NCUIH, NIGA, NAIHC], Area Indian Health Boards, national health organizations, church groups, friends of Indian health, tribal consulting firms, tribal chairmen, and especially, all those individual tribal members who made the calls and visits to Congress to tell their stories of why the passage of the IHCIA is so important to our tribal communities. Please direct media inquiries to Caitlin Wesaw, Communications Coordinator at the National Indian Health Board. SDPI Community-Directed and Demonstration Projects Grantee Conference - November 13-14, 2008
SAVE THE DATE!
November 13-14, 2008 Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Washington, DC SDPI Community-Directed and Demonstration Projects Grantee Conference “It is truly an historical event for all of our Special Diabetes Program for Indians Grantees to come together in our Nation’s Capital. We hope everyone will take this unique opportunity to join us in DC to network with other grantees and to share program accomplishments with members of the Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee.” Kelly Acton, MD, MPH, FACP Director, IHS Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention For more information Important Information on Proposed Regulation to Change Code Sets (CMS-0013-P)
On September 9, 2008, the Federal Register published a CMS proposed regulation to change ICD-9 code sets to ICD-10-CM (diagnosis) and ICD-10-PCS (hospital procedures). HHS proposes to make the compliance date for this proposed rule for all covered entities October 1, 2011. Comments are due by 5 p.m. ET on October 21, 2008. The regulation may be viewed at ICD-10 PDF and a CMS fact sheet may be viewed here at CMS Fact-Sheet .
Based on conversations with IHS, these changes will have a negative impact in Indian Country in the areas of training and loss of productivity during the change over period. There is also a concern regarding the upgrading of software and hardware to facilitate the change, IHS indicated that if a Tribe were using RPMS then IHS would take care of the upgrades. If, however, the Tribe were using off the shelf commercial software then the Tribe would be responsible for the upgrade cost. Other considerations are the following:
You may submit the comments electronically by:
You may mail written comments (one original and two copies) to the following address ONLY (remember to allow sufficient time for delivery by 5 p.m. October 21, 2008):
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-0013-P P.O. Box 8016 Baltimore, MD 21244-8016 By express or overnight mail: You may send written comments (one original and two copies) to the following address ONLY
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS-0013-P Mail Stop C4-26-05 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 If you have any questions please contact John Johns, NIHB Federal Regulations and Policy Analyst, at 202-507-4070 or jjohns@nihb.org. CMS Strategic Plan for Tribal Review - Deadline: Oct 31, 2008
Request for Comments on CMS 2010 – 2015 American Indian and Alaska Native Strategic Plan (CMS AI/AN Strategic Plan)
Deadline: October 31, 2008 More Information: Dear Tribal Leader Letter (Adobe Acrobat PDF) For Review: CMS 2010 – 2015 American Indian and Alaska Native Strategic Plan (CMS AI/AN Strategic Plan (Adobe Acrobat PDF) 6.31MB Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute Accepting Applications - Deadline: Oct 31, 2008
From August 15 through October 31, 2008, CDC's Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute (EPHLI) will accept applications for the class of 2009-2010.
Each year, approximately 30 practicing environmental public health professionals are admitted to the program. EPHLI strengthens the country';s environmental public health system by enhancing the leadership capabilities of state, local, and tribal environmental public health professionals. Application instructions are posted at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/EPHLI/application.htm. For more information about EPHLI, please contact Kim Ayers at KAyers@cdc.gov or John Sarisky at JSarisky@cdc.gov. SAMHSA Accepting Applications for Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Program - Deadline: Nov 7, 2008
SAMHSA Accepting Applications for Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Program
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is soliciting applications for cooperative agreements to implement SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework. The Strategic Prevention Framework uses a public health approach built on a community-based risk and protective framework for prevention. The objective of the program is to:
Job Announcement: NIHB Project Assistant, TTAG - Deadline: September 30, 2008
The Project Assistant will be responsible for coordinating Tribal Technical Advisor Group (TTAG) meetings, Medicare & Medicaid Policy Committee (MMPC) meetings and TTAG subcommittee meetings for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), under the Indian Health Service (IHS) Cooperative Agreement.
Full Job Announcement (Adobe Acrobat PDF) GAO-08-724 MEDICARE AND MEDICAID: CMS and State Efforts to Interact with the Indian Health Service and Indian Tribes
GAO-08-724 MEDICARE AND MEDICAID: CMS and State Efforts to Interact with the Indian Health Service and Indian Tribes
Adobe Acrobat PDF Washington Report, August 1, 2008IN THIS ISSUE:
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Hearing on GAO Report about IHS Mismanagement of PropertyOn July 31, 2008, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held an oversight hearing regarding the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) report, “Indian Health Service (IHS) Mismanagement led to Millions of Dollars in Lost or Stolen Property.” The GAO analyzed IHS property records from fiscal years 2004-2008 and the GAO identified over 5,000 missing property items with an estimated worth of $15.8 million. In attendance was Chairman Dorgan (D-ND) and Vice-Chairman Murkowski (R-AK), Senator Tester (D-MT) and Senators Barrasso (R-WY) and Smith (R-OR). Witnesses present at the hearing were Gregory Kutz, Managing Director of the GAO Forensic Audits and Special Investigations Unit; Robert McSwain, IHS Director; and Fernand Verrier, Former Deputy Director of the IHS Office of Finance and Accounting. The Committee invited Michael Leavitt, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, to testify but he declined. Mr. Kutz provided a summary of the GAO Report and explained that the missing property items ranged from computer equipment to tractors. Mr. Kutz testified that lost and stolen property had been a problem for more than a decade but it had not been fixed. He stated that although policies are in place – the missing property is a result of the IHS employees’ failure to adhere to policy and procedures. Senator John Tester (D-MT) stated to Mr. McSwain, “If there was this kind of incompetence on my farm, people wouldn’t be working there.” Chairman Dorgan noted that the GAO Report alleged that employees fabricated and back dated documents. The Chairman asked Mr. McSwain whether these employees would be held responsible for their actions. McSwain defended his employees by stating they have certain rights and many of the “fabricated” documents were supported by already existing documentation. He responded that IHS is referring the serious allegations about document falsification to the Inspector General for further investigation. Fernand Verrier, former Deputy Director of the Office of Finance and Accounting, testified about his personal experience with property problems at IHS. He gave examples of how IHS employees were in the practice of “writing off” missing property, without conducting investigations. By the end of the hearing, the Committee boiled down the problems to “weak internal controls” and lack of employee accountability for lost items; as well as improper completion and filing of paperwork, especially in documenting disposal of obsolete equipment. In response, McSwain committed to implementing 9 of 10 recommendations made by the GAO and respond to the conclusions of the report within the 60 day grace period. McSwain said, “I look forward to a revisit from the GAO.” The Committee requested for the GAO to follow up with IHS in 90 days for a review of the changes. To view a webcast of the hearing, please visit the Indian Affairs Committee’s website at http://indian.senate.gov/public/ View a copy of the GAO Report. Investigators fault IHS on equipment management (Anchorage Daily): National Native American AIDS Prevention Center To Honor HIV/AIDS Advocate
Trudie Jackson will receive 2008 Mary Prairie Award
July 30, 2008 – Denver, CO – The National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC) is proud to announce that Trudie Jackson (Diné), Underserved Population Prevention Specialist for the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, Phoenix, AZ, will receive the 2008 Marty Prairie Award for her continuing leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Native Community. The award ceremony will be held September 18, 2008, 6pm at the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, Florida. |
Contact NIHB926 Pennsylvania Ave SEWashington, DC 20003 Phone: 202-507-4070 Fax: 202-507-4071 For media inquiries please contact Caitlin Wesaw, Communications Coordinator, at 202-507-4083 or 202-302-6233. GoodSearchUse GoodSearch to do your web searches, and raise money for the National Indian Health Board.Contact CongressForumposts
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