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Indian Country Infectious Disease ECHO clinic on Thursday, January 16th at 12pm MT
The Indian Health Service continues to approach H5N1 (Avian) Influenza proactively. Though the risk to the public remains low, we are working diligently to support a posture of preparedness including planning, surveillance, operations, logistics, data, and communications. In collaboration with IHS Chief Clinical Consultant in Infectious Disease, Dr. Jonathan Iralu, and our partners at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, are pleased to announce a special opportunity this week to learn more about Avian Influenza during the Indian Country Infectious Disease ECHO. I/T/U clinicians and staff serving American Indian and Alaska Native people throughout Indian Country, and all those who are interested in providing high-quality care to patients with infectious diseases are invited to attend.
To Join: click here at the time of meeting ; Password: ECHO
HHS Soliciting Nominations for the Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC)
HHS is seeking nominations to serve as Primary and Alternate Delegates in areas with open seats on the STAC. The STAC Delegates – representing each of the twelve IHS Areas and National At-Large positions – engage with HHS leadership on healthcare priorities and policies impacting Tribes and AI/AN populations. The vacancies open for nomination and their terms are:
1. Albuquerque Area Alternate (1-year term)
2. Bemidji Area Primary and Alternate (2-year terms)
3. Billings Area Primary (1-year term)
4. California Area Primary and Alternate (2-year terms)
5. Nashville Area Primary and Alternate (2-year terms)
6. Navajo Area Primary and Alternate (2-year terms)
7. Oklahoma Area Primary and Alternate (2-year terms)
8. Portland Area Primary and Alternate (2-year terms)
9. Tucson Area Primary and Alternate (2-year terms)
10. National At-Large Primary Delegate (3) (2-year terms)
11. National At-Large Alternate Delegate (1) (2-year term)
All nominees must either be elected or appointed Tribal officials acting in their official capacity as elected officials of their Tribes or be designated by an elected Tribal official with the designee having authority to act on behalf of the Tribal official. Nominations must be made by an elected or appointed official from a federally recognized Tribe acting in his or her official capacity. Nominations are requested by January 16, 2025, and may be submitted to STAC@hhs.gov. Please see this Dear Tribal Leader Letter for full details.
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IHS Announces New Methodology for Contract Support Costs on Third-Party Reimbursements
On December 20, 2024, the Indian Health Service (IHS) Director wrote to Tribal Leaders to announce a new methodology for calculating Contract Support Costs (CSC) on expenditures of third-party reimbursements, following the U.S. Supreme Court's June 6, 2024, decision in Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe and Becerra v. Northern Arapaho Tribe. This decision results from extensive Tribal Consultation sessions held in September and October 2024, where over 70 written comments were received from Tribes and Tribal Organizations. The Contract Support Costs Advisory Group (CSCAG) also played a crucial role, meeting six times between June and November 2024 to discuss implementation issues and provide recommendations.
The new methodology is effective immediately. IHS has provided a template and certification form to estimate eligible CSC for anticipated expenditures of program income (third-party reimbursements). These tools will also be used in final reconciliations of CSC incurred by Tribes and Tribal Organizations and may assist in resolving Contract Disputes Act claims. In the coming months, IHS will offer updates and CSC-specific training to assist in using these tools. For questions about this implementation, please contact Ms. Johnnita Tsabetsaye, Director, Contract Support Costs, Office of Direct Service and Contracting Tribes, IHS, at johnnita.tsabetsaye@ihs.gov. Learn more here.
CFPB Finalizes Rule to Remove Medical Bills from Credit Reports
On January 7, 2025, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule amending Regulation V, which implements the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), concerning medical information. The FCRA prohibits creditors from considering medical information in credit eligibility determinations. The CFPB is removing a regulatory exception that had permitted creditors to obtain and use information on medical debts notwithstanding this statutory limitation. The final rule also provides that a consumer reporting agency generally may not furnish to a creditor a consumer report containing information on medical debt that the creditor is prohibited from using. Learn more here.
IHS DIGA Reorganization - Public Inspection Notice Released January 8, 2025
Part G of the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hereby amended to reflect a reorganization of the Indian Health Service (IHS). The purpose of this reorganization is to revise the current approved structure for the IHS, Office of the Director, Intergovernmental Affairs functions in Chapter GA (GAA-GAC). Learn more here.
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Congress is back, and this week, Senate confirmation hearings for Trump’s nominees are on the docket. Doug Burgum, Pete Hegseth, and Marco Rubio are some of the individuals included in these nomination hearings; however, RFK Jr.’s two confirmation hearings with the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate HELP Committee are not on the schedule.
Discussions of what may be in reconciliation are still in the initial stages, but Republicans say they see Medicaid as one lever for cost savings. Most federal Medicaid costs fall under mandatory spending, meaning they are not subject to the annual appropriations process. President-elect Donald Trump has said he opposes cuts to Medicare and Social Security, two other drivers of mandatory spending.
The House Budget Committee has delegated drafting specific reconciliation policies to the committees of jurisdiction, with the health pieces falling to the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees. House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2) and Congressman Buddy Carter (R-GA-1) said in interviews last week that they have been considering per capita caps of state funding, changing the federal Medicaid match rate, and implementing work requirements on some beneficiaries. Congressman Carter has also said he would like to include the health care portions from the draft stopgap funding deal from December, which ultimately dropped from the final stopgap funding bill. This draft bill had many provisions that would positively impact Indian Country, including overhauling the pharmacy benefit manager system and extending lapsed programs. Congressman Carter is reportedly discussing with leadership about including it in the reconciliation package or as a standalone. NIHB will be monitoring these issues as they develop and ensuring that any changes to Medicaid do not negatively impact American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Please contact NIHB’s Congressional Relations team for more information at wdavis@nihb.org and tbarrett@nihb.org.
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Hearings
Topic: Nomination of the Honorable Douglas A. Collins to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Committee: Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: Nomination of Mr. Peter B. Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense
Committee: Senate Committee on Armed Services
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2024 at 9:30 AM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: Nomination of the Honorable Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Interior
Committee: Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: The Need to Make Permanent the Trump Tax Cuts for Working Families
Committee: House Ways & Means Committee
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: Nomination of the Honorable Kristi Noem to be Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Committee: Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: Nomination of the Honorable Marco A. Rubio, to be Secretary of State
Committee: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Committee
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: Nomination of Mr. Chris Wright to be Secretary of Energy
Committee: Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: Improving Wellness Among Seniors: Setting a Standard for the American Dream
Committee: Senate Special Committee on Aging
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2024 at 3:30 PM
Hearing Website Link
Topic: Nomination of Mr. Eric Scott Turner, to be Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Committee: Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Date: Thursday, January 16, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Hearing Website Link
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HHS January 6 Letter: Office for Civil Rights Director writes to invite Tribal Leaders to the Virtual Tribal Consultation on Proposed Modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Info The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, would revise the Security Rule to better protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information.
IHS January 2 Letter: The IHS Director writes to announce the appointment of Dr. Chris Poole to serve as the Director of the Bemidji Area Indian Health Service.
IHS December 27 Letter: The IHS Director writes to announce the new solicitation for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Indian Health Service (IHS) Long-Term Care Joint Venture Construction Program (JVCP). This IHS FY 2025 JVCP is exclusively for long-term care facilities.
IHS December 26 Letter: The IHS Director will proceed with the competitive grant funding distribution method for the Community Opioid Intervention and Prevention Program (COIPP)
IHS December 26 Letter: The IHS Director, along with the Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Rachael M. Levine, MD, write to share information about the joint efforts being made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Indian Health Service to address the escalating cases of syphilis and congenital syphilis in our Tribal communities
IHS December 20 Letter: The IHS Director writes to provide our decision on how the Indian Health Service (IHS) will calculate Contract Support Costs (CSC) on expenditures of third-party reimbursements and provide next steps.
IHS December 19 Letter: The IHS Director writes to initiate Tribal Consultation regarding Indian Health Service (IHS) proposals to streamline floodplain impact review processes for certain routine or recurring actions, known as “repetitive actions,” associated with construction projects sited within a floodplain.
IHS December 12 Letter: The IHS Director writes today to reaffirm the commitment of the Indian Health Service to protecting our patients and improving the Purchased/Referred Care program
IHS DTLLs for Year 2024
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Tribal Advisory Committee Meetings | |
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Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee (DSTAC) Monthly Call
Date: January 16, 2025, 3:00-4:00 PM ET
Meeting Website
National Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup Area Report Webinar
Date: January 22, 2:00-4:00 PM ET & January 23, 2:00-4:00 PM ET
Day One Meeting Website
Day Two Meeting Website
FY 2027 National Tribal Budget Formulation Work Session
Date: February 11-12, 2025
Meeting Website
Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee (DSTAC) 2nd Quarterly Meeting
Date: February 13, 2025
Meeting Website
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IHS Tribal Management Grant Program | Click Here to Learn More
Application deadline: January 13, 2025
Description: IHS is now accepting applications for a competitive grant for federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations that is administered by the Office of Direct Service and Contracting Tribes. The Tribal Management Grant Program is designed to enhance and develop health management infrastructure and assist tribes and tribal organizations in assuming all or part of existing IHS programs, functions, services, and activities through agreements under the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act. It also aims to assist tribes and tribal organizations with existing agreements to further develop and improve their management capability.
Pediatric Pulmonary Centers Program | Click Here to Learn More
Application Deadline: February 18, 2025
Award Amount: Up to $340,000
Description: The purpose of the PPC program is to provide interdisciplinary training to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with chronic respiratory conditions, sleep issues, and other related special health care needs.
FY25 IHS Tribal Self-Gov Planning & Negotiation Cooperative Agreements | Click Here to Learn More
Application Deadline: February 19, 2025
Description: The awards support tribes and tribal organizations with the planning and preparation necessary to assume responsibility for providing health care to their tribal members through the Tribal Self-Governance Program. For more information, contact Jessaka Nakai at Jessaka.Nakai@ihs.gov or 301-526-6624.
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students | Click Here to Learn More
Application Deadline: February 19, 2025
Description: The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program increases diversity in the health professions and nursing workforce by providing awards to eligible health professions schools for use in awarding scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have financial need, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Grants | Click Here to Learn More
Application Deadline: March 17, 2025
Award Amount: Up to $1,000,000
Description: The grant will support 5-year cooperative agreements between ACF and federally recognized Indian tribes (or a consortium of Indian tribes), tribal organizations, or urban Indian organizations interested in developing, implementing, sustaining, or expanding an evidence-based home visiting program serving expectant families and families with young children aged birth to kindergarten. Additionally, awards will support the implementation of high-quality, culturally grounded, evidence-based home visiting services to American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) families and children; implementation of performance measurement and continuous quality improvement systems; development of early childhood systems; and participation in research and evaluation activities to build evidence around home visiting, particularly in Tribal communities
Long-term Care Joint Venture Construction Program | Click Here to Learn More
Application Deadline: Phase I Application due on close of business, April 10, 2025
Description: Under the LTC JVCP, federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes construct a Tribal-owned Long Term Care, Skilled Nursing Facility, or Long-term Home facility using non-IHS funds that meets IHS design criteria and approval. In exchange, IHS will enter into a 20-year nominal lease for the facility and request annual appropriations for the operation and maintenance of the facility during the lease period. Additional priority is to be given to Tribes who agree to fund the initial equipment portion of the project.
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