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Week of January 21, 2025

Five Notices of Funding Opportunities from the Health Resources and Services Administration for Rural Communities

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. The following HRSA Funding Opportunity Announcements are now open and applications can be submitted through Grants.gov. Tribal entities are eligible to apply. HRSA Grants Web Page: https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/index.html

• The purpose of the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) program is to improve and expand access to health care in rural areas by developing new sustainable rural residency programs, including rural track programs (RTPs).
• The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Pathways aims to support rural youth with behavioral health care challenges while also bolstering the behavioral health care workforce in rural communities.
• The purpose of the Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project is to help small rural hospitals and rural health clinics (RHCs) strengthen their foundation in key elements of value-based care.
• Regional TRCs provide expert technical assistance in the development of telehealth services and leverage the experience of mature telehealth programs.
• These telehealth resource centers will support healthcare organizations, networks, and providers with telehealth implementation and training for rural areas, frontier communities, and medically underserved areas, as well as for medically underserved populations.

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 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.

Congress returns after yesterday’s inauguration of the 47^th President. President Trump began his second term by signing a slew of executive orders, including one to withdraw U.S. membership from the World Health Organization (WHO). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be led by career officials until the president’s nominees can be confirmed. Dorothy Fink, who directs the HHS Office of Women’s Health, will be acting HHS secretary while Robert F. Kennedy Jr. awaits Senate confirmation. The Senate Finance Committee has not announced a date for Kennedy’s confirmation hearing. He spent the past several weeks on Capitol Hill in meetings with senators who would cast deciding votes. As Congress continues to open the 119^th this week, House Appropriations Committee is holding its organizational hearings, as is House Natural Resources Committees, which will then follow up with its first legislative hearing of the Congress. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is also holding its organizational hearing this week.

Please contact NIHB’s Congressional Relations team for more information at wdavis@nihb.org and tbarrett@nihb.org.  

Hearings

Topic: Nomination of the Honorable Russell T. Vought of Virginia, to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Committee: Senate Committee on the Budget

Date: January 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Restoring Focus: Putting Veterans First in Community Care

Committee: House Committee on the Veterans’ Affairs

Date: January 22, 2025, at 1:00 PM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Nomination of the Honorable Douglas A. Collins to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Committee: Senate Committee on Veteran’s Affairs

Date: January 23, 2025, at 9:00 AM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Nomination of the Honorable Douglas Burgum to be Secretary of the Interior

Committee: Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Date: January 23, 2025, at 9:30 AM

Hearing Website Link

Topic: Protecting Veteran Choice: Examining VA’s Community Care Program

Committee: Senate Committee on Veteran’s Affair

Date: January 28, 2025, at 10:30 AM

Hearing Website Link

IHS January 17 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to express deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve as the Indian Health Service Director

IHS January 16 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to share a vital resource developed by the IHS to help our patients overcome barriers when accessing cancer care services in our communities. We are building an interactive web map that provides our patients with a search tool to locate cancer services near home, and health care providers can use the map to plan appointments and referrals

IHS January 16 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders to express sincere gratitude to the Community Health Aide Program Tribal Advisory Group members for the continued support and valuable advisement in expanding the Community Health Aide Program in the lower 48 states

IHS January 16 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders to share resources in follow-up to the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women Government-to-Government Tribal Consultation, which was convened on November 19-21, 2024, in Santa Fe, New Mexico (Pueblo of Pojoaque)

IHS January 16 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders to announce the appointment of Dr. Beverly Cotton as the Deputy Director for Field Operations at the Indian Health Service

IHS January 15 Letter: The IHS Director writes to Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders in follow-up to Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer on the IHS Headquarters reorganization of the offices that comprise the Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs

IHS January 13 Letter: The IHS Director writes to announce four upcoming information sessions in Calendar Year 2025 regarding the IHS Health Information Technology Modernization Program. In conjunction with ongoing Agency outreach, we will also be seeking your recommendations and feedback via Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer on these topics

IHS January 10 Letter: The IHS Director writes to announce that the Federal Register Notice for the calendar year 2025 All-Inclusive Rates was published on December 16, 2024. This year's rates reflect measurable increases compared to CY 2024

IHS January 7 Letter: The IHS Director writes to announce the Indian Health Service Fiscal Year 2025 allocation decisions for the $700 million appropriated to the IHS in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

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 DTLLs for Year 2024

Consultations

IHS Consultation on the Floodplain Class Review Process

Dear Tribal Leader Letter

Proposed IHS Floodplain Class Review Project List

Consultation: January 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET

Zoom Link

Comments Due: February 17, 2025

Comment Submission: consultation@ihs.gov; subject line: Floodplain Class Review

HHS Tribal Consultation on Proposed Modifications to the HIPAA Security Rule to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Electronic Protected Health Information

Proposed Rule, RIN number 0945-AA22

Contact: Devin Delrow, Principal Advisor for Tribal Affairs, at (202) 868-0013 or at consultation@hhs.gov

Date: February 6, 2025, from 2:00- 3:30 PM ET

Register for the Tribal Consultation

Comments Due: March 7, 2025

Comment Submission: Docket ID number HHS-OCR-0945-AA22, using any of the following methods:

• Federal Rulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail or hand delivery: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, Attention: HIPAA Security Rule NPRM, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 509F, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201.

Tribal Advisory Committee Meetings

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 Sub-Workgroup on Mandatory Funding Appropriations for IHS - First Meeting FY 2027

Date: January 29, 2025, 1:00-3:00 PM ET

Meeting Website

Zoom Link

FY 2027 National Tribal Budget Formulation Work Session

Date: February 11-12, 2025

Meeting Website

Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee (DSTAC) 2^nd Quarterly Meeting

Date: February 13, 2025

Meeting Website

CMS Open Enrollment Webinar Series

Date: January 29, 2025 at 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET

Meeting Registration Link

Social Security Administration Webinar: Getting to know the Social Security Income (SSI) Program

• January 22, 2025, at 11:00 AM EST Registration Link
• January 29, 2025, at 2:30 PM EST Registration Link  

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.

National Indian Health Board | www.nihb.org | 202-507-4070