National Indian Health Board

News

The 15th U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Annual Tribal Budget Consultation (ATBC)

March 6-8, 2013
Washington, DC

As in previous years, HHS will continue to work with you to improve the consultation process. The Department understands the importance of hearing from tribes on national crosscutting issues, regional perspectives, as well as tribal-specific concerns. The consultation session will provide a forum for tribes to collectively share their views and priorities with HHS officials on national health and human services funding priorities and recommendations for the Department’s FY 2015 budget request. We hope the consultation will provide a venue for a two-way conversation between tribal leaders and HHS officials on program issues and concerns that will lead to recommended actions. The schedule for this year’s consultation is as follows...

Starting February 25, 2013

Pain and Addiction Course

Brought to you by Indian Health Service’s TeleBehavioral Health Center for Excellence and the University of New Mexico’s Center for Rural and Community Behavioral

Presented by Snehal Bhatt, MD and Joanna Katzman, MD, MSPH

This 15-session course will address:

- Pain Management within a primary care setting.
- Risk Management with pain patients.
- Assessing aberrant behavior in pain patients.
- Diagnosing and managing Opioid Addiction within a primary care setting.
- Practical assessment and intervention.

Sessions will occur weekly on Mondays

More Information (PDF)

January 24, 2013

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Mental Health Services & Prevent Youth Suicide

On January 23, in an effort to improve mental health services for young people and prevent youth suicides, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization bill. The Reauthorization will help improve access to counseling for at-risk teens and promote the development of statewide suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. It will also increase federal funding for competitive grants to help States, colleges, universities, and Tribes improve mental and behavioral health counseling services...

Violence Against Women Act Bills Re-introduced in Congress

On January 22, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. Michael Crapo (R-ID) introduced S. 47, a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the new 113th Congress. On the same day, Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) introduced H.R. 11, a House companion bill identical to the bipartisan Senate bill S. 47...

Read Full Article (PDF)

January 24, 2013

House Passes Legislation to Suspend the Debt Limit

On January 23, the House of Representatives passed debt legislation that would suspend the country’s debt limit through May 18. House Members voted 285-144 to pass H.R. 335, with 86 Democrats supporting the measure and 33 Republicans opposing it.

H.R. 335 automatically increases the current $16.4 trillion ceiling to accommodate additional debt accumulated before May 18. Without action, the federal government would reach its borrowing ceiling as early as mid-February. H.R. 335 would also tie Congressional pay to passage of a budget plan by suspending salaries of House or Senate Members if either chamber does not adopt a budget resolution by April 15.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said that the Senate will pass H.R. 335 and the White House has indicated that it will not block the measure. The timing of the Senate vote to pass the measure has not been determined. Stay tuned to www.nihb.org for updates as they develop.

January 11, 2013

Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach & Enrollment
Grant Announcement - Due Date: Feb. 21, 2013

Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a solicitation for applications for Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment Grants This solicitation seeks applications for Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment (Cycle III) grant funding, provided under the Section 2113 of the Social Security Act, as amended by section 10203(d)(2)(E)(i) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Pub. L. 111-148).

A total of $32 million is available for grants to states, local governments, community-based and non-profit organizations. Indian health care providers and tribal entities also are eligible to apply for grants under this FOA. In addition, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be announcing a separate FOA exclusively for Indian health care providers and tribal entities, under which $4 million will be made available for outreach and enrollment grants. Cycle III grants will support outreach strategies similar to those conducted in previous grant cycles, and also will fund activities designed to help families understand new application procedures and health coverage opportunities, including Medicaid, CHIP and insurance affordability programs under the ACA.

All grant applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov and are due on February 21, 2013. Applications received through www.grants.gov until 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 21, 2013, will be considered "on time."

Teleconferences for Applicants:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold at least two applicant teleconferences to provide an opportunity to ask questions about this solicitation. The first teleconference will take place on January 16, 2013, from 2 p.m. to 3 pm eastern time. The dates, times, and call information for this and future teleconferences will be posted on the Insure Kids Now website at www.insurekidsnow.gov/
professionals/outreach/grantees

Click here to see the full announcement

January 2, 2013

Congress Votes to Renew the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI)

Congratulations! As one of the final acts of the 112th Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate approved H.R. 8 – American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 – a bipartisan bill that included a one-year renewal of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) at the current funding level of $150 million. The reauthorization of the SDPI is a significant accomplishment in the current challenging political and fiscal environment in Congress. The measure is expected to be signed by the President shortly.

This victory is due to your tremendous dedication in spending countless hours connecting with Congress. The renewal of the SDPI was a top legislative priority of the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and for the past year, we focused much of our efforts, with your help, on demonstrating to Congress that SDPI is an urgent priority that must be renewed. With this extension, SDPI programs can continue through September 2014 to make a real difference in the lives of people in Tribal communities who fight diabetes on a daily basis.

In the coming days, NIHB will be releasing information on how you can thank your Members of Congress for their support of SDPI renewal. In the meantime, NIHB thanks each of you for your great outreach efforts to Congress. Lastly, for more information about the details of the fiscal deal package, please see the fact sheet issued by the White House.

View the Tax Agreement Fact Sheet (PDF)

January 1, 2013

SDPI Renewal Included in Senate Fiscal Cliff Package

Early this morning, by a vote of 89-8, the Senate passed legislation - H.R. 8 - American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 - that not only neutralizes the across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect at midnight but also includes a one-year extension for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) at the current funding level of $150 million. The renewal would extend SDPI through September 2014. The one-year renewal of SDPI will continue to provide Indian County with the necessary resources to continue to make significant advances in diabetes education, treatment, and prevention in Tribal communities.

Other key highlights of this legislation include:

Tax rates will increase for individuals with annual incomes above $400,000 and couples with incomes above $450,000, generating about $600 billion in new revenue to the federal government over the next ten years.
The sequester is delayed for two months.
The scheduled payment cuts to doctors under Medicare would be avoided for a year.
The Farm Bill is extended for nine months.

The House of Representatives convened at Noon today and will hopefully pass the legislative package so it can be sent to President Obama and signed into law.

NIHB continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they develop. For more information on SDPI, please visit the SDPI Resource Center at www.nihb.org/sdpi

To view the text of H.R. 8, CLICK HERE

December 17, 2012

19 States Will Establish a State Exchange

19 states, including the District of Columbia, have announced their intent to establish a state exchange before last Friday’s deadline, December 14, 2012.

To view which states are establishing a state exchange, visit NIHB’s Tribal Reform Resource Website at www.nihb.org/tribalhealthreform.

The National Indian Health Board is pleased to announce our new initiative GO the EXTRA MILE

The National Indian Health Board is pleased to announce our new initiative GO the EXTRA MILE, the result of our Executive Director Stacy A. Bohlen signing the CEO Pledge. The CEO Pledge is part of a national campaign to encourage Executive Directors to commit to supporting and fostering a physically-active workplace. NIHB’s GO the EXTRA MILE initiative achieves these goals by creating a workplace that supports physical activity for every member of its staff. Through the GO THE EXTRA MILE with NIHB initiative, staff is required to walk at least one mile each day for a year. We will aggregate these miles and “virtually” walk to each of the 12 Indian Health Service Areas, either to an Area Indian Health Board or to a Tribal Partner in Areas that do not have a Board.

To view the letter from our Executive Director, Stacy A. Bohlen about the CEO Pledge and the GO the EXTRA MILE, CLICK HERE.

On November 1, 2012, the first day of both American Indian Heritage Month and Diabetes Awareness month, NIHB will launch its GO THE EXTRA MILE initiative, and we invite you to join us on this year-long journey. The kickoff walk will take place at 8 AM in front of the National Museum of American Indians in Washington, D.C. NIHB wants to begin this journey by walking the first mile together!

To see Kickoff Walk flyer CLICK HERE.

We invite you to join NIHB by signing the CEO pledge and participating in the November 1st launch. You will have access to the NIHB Go The Extra Mile website (available on November 1st), which will include a toolkit, electronic mapping for your journey, and access to information like “Hot Health Tips” from our partner, the Association of American Indian Physicians.

For additional information about the GO the EXTRA MILE, CEO Pledge, and the kickoff walk, please contact Liz Heintzman at lheintzman@nihb.com and/or 202-507-4072. CLICK HERE to view the GO the EXTRA MILE proposal and CLICK HERE to view NIHB’s virtual walking plan.

» View News Archive

Events

February 4th, 2013

Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment Grants Teleconference

3:30 until 5:00 pm EST
Call in number: 1-877-267-1577
PASSCODE: 4879

February 4-7, 2013

United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. Impact Week

Crystal Gateway Marriot, Arlington, VA

February 6, 2013

Money Follows the Person (MFP) Tribal Initiative Webinar

2:00-3:00 PM EST
Webinar link:
http://kauffmaninc.adobeconnect.com/ltsswebinars/

February 8, 2013

All Tribes Call on the Proposed Rules to Strengthen Medicaid, CHIP, and the new Marketplace

1:00 pm -3:00pm, EST
Call-in Number: 1-888-245-0920
Meeting ID: 614388
Webinar link:
http://kauffmaninc.adobeconnect.com/r24yi8goasd

February 13-15, 2013

Indian Health Services Budget Formulation Workgroup National Meeting

Location TBD

February 19, 2013

Medicare, Medicaid Health Care Reform Policy Committee (MMPC)
Face to Face Meeting

American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington, D.C.

February 20-21, 2013

Tribal Technical Advisory Group (TTAG)
Face to Face Meeting

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Washington, D.C.

March 4-7, 2013

National Congress American Indians Executive Council Winter Session

Rasmuson Theater, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC

March 4-15, 2013