|
Secretary Becerra Invokes Defense Production Act to Address Infant Formula Shortage – Learn more via May 22, 2022 HHS Press Release and access resources below.
HHS Launches New Maternal Mental Health Hotline. U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the launch of the Maternal Mental Health Hotline, a new, confidential, toll-free hotline for expecting and new moms experiencing mental health challenges. Hotline is the latest move of the Biden-Harris Administration to strengthen both maternal health and mental health.
-
Hotline access (call or text): 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS
-
The Maternal Mental Health Hotline is not intended as an emergency response line and individuals in behavioral health crisis should continue to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 and via 988 beginning July 16, 2022.
Biden Administration Announces $1.5 Billion Funding Opportunity for State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant Program. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced a SOR grant funding opportunity that will provide funding to states and territories to help address the Nation’s opioid addiction and overdose epidemic. The SOR grant will fund up to $1,439,500,000 to be awarded in fiscal year 2022 to 59 states and territories. This funding includes a set-aside for the states with the highest OUD-related mortality rates.
Affordable Care Act Family Glitch Proposed Rule. The Treasury and IRS released a proposed rule to allow family members of workers who are offered affordable self-only coverage but is unaffordable family coverage to qualify for premium tax credits for ACA coverage. This is expected to extend coverage to an additional 200,000 uninsured individuals.
- Written comments are due Jun. 6, 2022 on the Federal Register Portal.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted a tribal listening session on the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefit last week. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, MACPAC and CMS were directed to conduct a study on utilization of NEMT before any regulatory changes were implemented. In April of 2021, MACPAC released their study on the NEMT benefit. NPAIHB will be coordinating a letter outlining Northwest concerns on access to NEMT for the IHS/Tribal health system. Please contact Liz Coronado at [email protected] for issues related to NEMT.
FDA and CDC Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Pfizer Boosters for 5-11Year Olds. The CDC has expanded eligibility of the COVID-19 booster doses to children ages 5 and older. CDC now recommends children ages 5-11 should receive a booster shot five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech series. Additionally, CDC is strengthening its recommendation for a second booster at least four months after the first booster for everyone ages 50 and older and ages 12 and older who are immunocompromised.
Indian Health Service (IHS) Accepting Applications for Funding to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. On March 24, the IHS announced the availability of $2.6 million in cooperative agreement funding to support awardees in developing comprehensive and sustainable approaches to address Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia, focusing on awareness, recognition, diagnosis, assessment, management and support for caregivers.
-
Application deadline is Jul. 18, 2022; learn more HERE.
2021 Small Ambulatory Program (SAP). IHS is accepting applications for the SAP through Jul. 1, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact CDR Omobogie Amadasu, P.E., Program Manager, Division of Facilities Planning and Construction by phone at (301) 443-4751 or email at [email protected].
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) forming its first ever Tribal Advisory Committee. GAO is seeking nominations to serve on the GAO TAC. The TAC will help guide GAO’s future work on vital and emerging issues affecting Tribal Nations, their citizens, and Indigenous people more broadly.
-
Nomination materials should be submitted to [email protected] by Jun. 10, 2022.
-
Required nomination materials vary based on the position the nominee is seeking to fill; learn more on the GAO office page, here.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) seeking nominations for Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (TIAC). HUD is moving forward with the next step in establishing a TIAC and has published a Federal Register notice that formally establishes the committee. HUD is requesting nominations for Tribal representatives to serve on the TIAC.
- To receive consideration, nominations must be submitted electronically through www.regulations.gov and refer to docket number FR-6289-N-02.
- Nominations are due on or before: May 31, 2022.
Interior Releases Federal Indian Boarding School Investigative Report (Volume 1). The NPAIHB would like to acknowledge the pain and trauma that boarding school survivors and their communities may be experiencing, or re-experiencing, due to the release of Volume 1 of the investigative report of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative (May 11, 2022) by the Department of the Interior (DOI). Along with the release of the report, we heard courageous testimony from boarding school survivors and Tribal leaders at the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States (SCIP) on H.R. 5444, an Act to establish the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States. Please see some helpful resources below previously sent to Tribal leaders along with media templates.
VA Pilot Program on Graduate Medical Education and Residency; Extension of Comment Period. On February 4, 2022, VA issued a proposed rule to revise its medical regulations to establish a new pilot program related to graduate medical education and residency, as required by section 403 of the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Network Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-182, hereinafter referred to as the MISSION Act). See 87 FR 6456. The proposed rule established parameters by which VA would determine those covered facilities in which residents would be placed under the pilot program, such as certain consideration factors to determine whether there is a clinical need for providers in areas where residents would be placed. VA further proposed to prioritize placement of residents under the pilot program in Indian Health Service facilities, Indian tribal or tribal organization facilities, certain underserved VA facilities, or other covered facilities.
- In addition, VA proposed parameters to pay resident stipends and benefits and certain startup costs of new residency programs if residents are placed in such programs under the pilot program.
- Comments must be submitted through www.regulations.gov and can be accessed via the Federal Register Notice on or before July 5, 2022.
| 
