March 26, 2021 | Issue 21-10 |
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House Energy and Commerce Committee Held a Legislative Hearing on Expanding Health Coverage |
Cindy Mann, the former Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), testified on how Tribes would benefit from the Improving Access to Indian Health Services Act. Watch the clip here.
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Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a Hearing on Health Equity |
Witnesses included:
- Consuelo H. Wilkins, MD, MSCI, Vice President for Health Equity, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Abigail Echo-Hawk, Executive Vice President, Seattle Indian Health Board
- Taryn Mackenzie Williams, Managing Director, Poverty to Prosperity, Center for American Progress
- Gene A. Woods, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Atrium Health
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UPDATES FROM THE FEDERAL & STATE ADMINISTRATIONS |
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New Guidelines from CMS on the New Federal Poverty Level Standards |
On March 18, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2021 Federal Poverty Level Standards. These updates are applicable to Medicare and CHIP eligibility criteria and increase the poverty thresholds by specific percentage changes used from the Census Bureau’s Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. Specifically, these guidelines indicate a 1.2%price increase for the years 2019 till 2020 and will be adjusted to standardize the differentiation between family and household size. These new standards for 2021 are similar to the poverty thresholds for calendar year 2020 which is expected to be published in September 2021. These guidelines are important to AI/ANs because they have been used by CMS to establish insurance eligibility for Tribal citizens and are used to attempt to provide citizens with an accurate change in healthcare costs based on the current economic climate within the United States. These guidelines are effective January 13, 2021.
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Biden Administration’s Additions to HHS Staff |
On March 22, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new administration appointees to the following areas: Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Office of the General Counsel, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration, Office of Global Affairs and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Appointees are tasked with implementing President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, and securing access to quality health care for all Americans. President Biden’s agenda includes elevating equity for all populations in America, including American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). The new HHS appointees also have the task of tackling the effect COVID-19 has had on AI/AN communities.
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Additional Amendment to the HHS Declaration Under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act for Medical Countermeasures Against COVID-19 |
On March 16, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a notice of the “Seventh Amendment to the Declaration Under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for Medical Countermeasures Against COVID-19”. This amendment adds additional classifications for qualified persons who can now dispense, administer, and prescribe the COVID-19 vaccine. The HHS Secretary has the authority to issue liability protection to certain individuals considered “qualified persons” against any type of claim of loss associated with specific countermeasures. The amendment may be important to Tribal communities that have healthcare staff classified as midwives, paramedics, physician assistants, and pharmacists. Those individuals, along with others classified in the amendment, are now defined as “qualified persons” who can administer the COVID-19 vaccine and remain protected from any type of claim loss liability. The amendment is effective March 11, 2021.
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New Correction to CMS Final Rule and Interim Final Rule on Medicare Program Topics |
On March 18, CMS published a correction to a final rule and interim final rule titled “Medicare Program; CY 2021 Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements for Eligible Professionals; Quality Payment Program; Coverage of Opioid Use Disorder Services Furnished by Opioid Treatment Programs; Medicare Enrollment of Opioid Treatment Programs; Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances for a Covered Part D Drug; Payment for Office/Outpatient Evaluation and Management Services; Hospital IQR Program; Establish New Code Categories; Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Expanded Model Emergency Policy; Coding and Payment for Virtual Check-in Services Interim Final Rule Policy; Coding and Payment for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Interim Final Rule Policy; Regulatory Revisions in Response to the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19; and Finalization of Certain Provisions from the March 31st, May 8th and September 2nd Interim Final Rules in Response to the PHE for COVID-19.” The correction to these rules involves typographical errors related to telehealth services and comparisons between physician staff time and clinical staff time. These changes are important to American Indians and Alaska Natives as telehealth continues to be increasingly vital in rural communities and proven beneficial across Indian Country. Specifically, clinicians and Indian healthcare provider entities across the spectrum from Urban clinics to Indian Health Service hospitals are affected by these changes. These corrections are effective March 18, 2021, and applicable starting January 1, 2021.
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Update from CMS for American Indians and Alaska Natives on the HealthCare.gov Application and Plan Compare Feature |
On March 22, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an update to the HealthCare.gov application and plan compare for American Indians and Alaska Natives. This update intends to educate American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) and their families on the most cost-efficient and beneficial plan for each individual. Many federally recognized Tribal citizens are eligible for a zero-cost sharing Qualified Health Plan (QHP) on the Marketplace, meaning they do not have to pay out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and copayments, however, the rest of their family may not be. If you are or have a family member in your household who is not a federally recognized Tribal citizen, then the same plan your federally recognized Tribal family member has, may not work for you. It is also important for Tribal citizens to know that no matter their income, they are eligible for limited cost-sharing through a QHP.
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GRANTS, RESOURCES AND EVENTS |
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Tribal Public Health Summit: Call for Abstracts Deadline Extended
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The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is excited to bring its annual National Tribal Public Health Summit to a virtual audience this year! The Summit's theme "Indigenous Resilience in Tribal Public Health Practice" is a tribute to the leadership and innovation from Indian Country during the coronavirus pandemic. NIHB is now accepting abstracts for workshop sessions until April 2, 2021. Workshops are excellent opportunities to share best or promising practices, recent research or program outcomes, provide an in-depth exploration of new or arising issues or policies, or explore public health strategies and practices. NIHB has roughly 30 workshop spots available for this year's Virtual Summit. Submit a workshop abstract for a 75-minute presentation on a topic relevant to one or more of the following conference tracks.
Abstract submissions due by Friday, April 2, 2021.
Register for the National Tribal Public Health Summit here.
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IHS Information Systems Advisory Committee |
The Indian Health Service (IHS) Information Systems Advisory Committee is hosting its semi-annual meeting through four separate webinars on March 31 and April 1. Members need to attend each session as different topics will be presented during each webinar. The times of each webinar are as follows:
March 31, 2021
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
April 1, 2021
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
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The Administration for Children and Families Announces Tribal Consultations |
On Monday, March 22, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced two Tribal Consultations to be held on March, 26 and April 1. These consultation sessions are to discuss new programs funded under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
April 1, 2021
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Written testimony requested by Friday, April 9, 2021
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IHS Opens Application for Summer Internships |
The Indian Health Service (IHS) headquarters is hiring summer interns through the Pathways Program, which is designed to attract students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions (high school, home-school, vocational and technical programs, undergraduate, and graduate programs) with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while in school. The Pathways Program exposes students to jobs in the Federal Civil Service by providing meaningful developmental work at the beginning of their career before career paths are fully established. Students should be based near the Washington DC metropolitan area. The application closes April 9, 2021.
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NIHB Announces Three Funding Opportunities for Dental Therapy in Indian Country |
The National Indian Health Board is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for three funding opportunities related to dental therapy in Indian Country as part of NIHB's Tribal Oral Health Initiative. Completed applications should be submitted to Brett Weber at bweber@nihb.org and should reference the grant code in the subject line. Applications are due on Friday, April 30, 2021, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Applicants will be notified of their award status by May 31, 2021.
For more information on the three funding opportunities click here.
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Visit the NIHB COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center at:
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