NPAIHB Legislative & Policy  Update
Wednesday February 6, 2019 
IMPORTANT DATES

February 7
3:30PM PT: IHS February All Tribes Call 
Dial-In: 800-857-5577; Passcode: 6703929 
Webinar:  https://ihs.cosocloud.com/r4k6jib09mj/ ; Password: ihs123 

February 8
10:00AM PT: IHS CHAP TAG Virtual Meeting

February 10-14
NCAI 2019 Executive Council Winter Session
Washington, D.C.

February 14
10:00AM PT: NIHB Tribal Dental Therapy Advocates Call
Dial-In:  866-866-2244;  Passcode: 6097425#

10:30AM PT: CMS New Part D Opioid Over-utilization Policies Call

February 19
NIHB MMPC Face-to-Face Meeting
Washington, D.C.

February 20
1:00PM PT: IHS TLDC Monthly Call

February 20-21
CMS TTAG Face-to-Face Meeting
Washington, D.C.

POLICY UPDATES

CMS/HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2020 Proposed Rule (Comments Due 2/19)
1/24 Federal Register Notice
Sets payment parameters and provisions related to the risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation programs; cost-sharing parameters; and user fees for Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) and State-based Exchanges on the Federal Platform (SBE-FPs). 

HHS  Request for Comments on the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Draft Report on Pain Management Best Practices (Comments Due 4/1)
12/31 Federal Register Notice
Request for input on pain management best practices, gaps or inconsistencies, and propose updates to best practices and recommendations for pain management, including chronic and acute pain.

HHS Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care (Comments Due 2/12)
12/14 Federal Register Notice
Request to assist OCR in identifying HIPAA provisions that may impede transformation to value-based health care or that limit or discourage coordinated care.

CDC Advancing Tobacco Control Policies to Prevent Initiative of Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults (Comments Due 2/11)
12/11 Request for Information 
CDC is seeking information to inform future activities to advance tobacco control policies to prevent tobacco use among youth and young adults; eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke;  and eliminate tobacco-related disparities.

HHS Tribal Consultation Policy ( Comments Due 3/15)
10/22  DTLL
HHS seeks input from tribes on  consultation mechanisms that work and those that do not; and w hat HHS can do to improve its activities to ensure an effective and meaningful Tribal Consultation Policy.

White House ONC Releases National Drug Control Strategy
1/31 Release 
Maintains a concentrated focus on opioid abuse and addiction prevention, and references several recommendations by the Trump commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.

Trump Administration Proposes to Lower Drug Costs by Targeting Backdoor Rebates and Encouraging Direct Discounts to Patients
1/31 Press Release
Proposes a rule to lower drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by encouraging manufacturers to pass discounts directly on to patients and bringing new transparency to prescription drug markets.

Proposes Medicare Advantage and Part D Payment and Policy Updates to Maximize Competition and Coverage
1/30 Press Release
P ro poses to increase plan choices and benefits and include important actions to address the opioid crisis.

GAO Releases Report on Interior Department, Citing Factors that Hinder Tribal Administration of Federal Programs
1/29 Report Released 

 LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

ALERT
Senate Judiciary Committee holds Executive Business Meeting for Re-Nomination of Eric Miller to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals 
1/29 Executive Business Meeting

Sen. Alexander (R-TN) Introduced S.192, Community and Public Health Programs Extension Act
1/18 Introduced
Includes reauthorization for SDPI at current funding until 2024.
 
Sen. Udall (D-NM) Introduced S.229, a bill to provide advanced appropriations to the BIA, BIE, and IHS
1/25 Referred to Committee on Budget
Provides a new budget authority for advance appropriations for each fiscal year beginning in 2020 for BIA, BIE, and IHS.

Continuing Resolution Became Law, H.J.Res 28 provides funding for the government until February 15
1/25 Became Law
Provided funding for three weeks, ending the 35 day partial government shutdown. Congress and the White House will have until February 15 to pass funding bills for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Sen. Tester (D-MT) Introduced S.257 the Tribal HUD-VASH Act of 2019
1/29 Referred to SCIA
Provides for rental assistance for homeless or at-risk Native veterans

Senate Committee on Indians Affairs Passes 12 bills for Indian Country,
Includes S.209 PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act
1/29 Business Meeting
SCIA held a Business Meeting to consider 12 bills, which were all ordered to be reported out of Committee without amendments favorably. S.209 streamlines self-governance for DOI similar to IHS processes. 

WHAT WE'RE READING
 
2/6 Trump plan to stop spread of H.I.V. will target 'hot spot' areas

2/6 Trump highlights health agenda with vow to lower unfair drug prices

2/4 Trump will nominate David Bernhardt as new Department of Interior Secretary

2/4 In Utah and Idaho, G.O.P looks to curb Medicaid Expansions that voters approved

2/4 Bipartisan lawmakers group seeks more briefings on VA Mission Act, EHRs

1/28 Doctors less likely to accept Medicaid than other insurance

For more information
  Laura Platero, Director of Government Affairs/Health Policy 
Sarah Sullivan, Health Policy Analyst
(503) 228-4185

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