April 16, 2021 | Issue 21-13 |
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President Biden Relaunches the White House Council on Native American Affairs |
On April 15, the Department of Interior announced the reestablishment of the White House Council on Native American Affairs as part of President Biden’s ongoing commitment by the new Administration to strengthen the government-to-government relationship between the U.S. Federal Government and Tribal Nations. Department of the Interior Secretary and member of the Laguna Pueblo Deb Haaland will chair the reinvigorated council which will have its first meeting next week on April 23.
The Council was created by executive order under President Obama in 2013. Under President Trump, the council did not regularly convene.
NIHB is excited to see the return of the White House Council on Native American Affairs and looks forward to continuing our work with the Biden Administration to strengthen relationships between the federal government and Tribal Nations. See NIHB’s Legislative and Policy Agenda here.
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NIHB Joins NCAI Infrastructure Letter to Congress |
NIHB’s asks focused on healthcare facilities infrastructure, public health infrastructure, Tribal health workforce development, and funding and implementation of unfunded provisions in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. This includes full funding of the Indian Health Service (IHS) at $48 billion, over $31 billion for healthcare facilities construction, $10 billion for a non-competitive Tribal graduate medical education program, a $6 billion Tribal set-aside for medical residency programs, $3 billion for electronic health records and health information technology modernization, and $2.3 billion for Tribal public health infrastructure.
As Congress and the Biden Administration draft the $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, NIHB continues to advocate for further investments in the Indian health system.
The full inter-organization letter can be read here.
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White House Releases Dear Tribal Leader on American Rescue Plan Funding to Indian Country |
On April 16, the White House released a Dear Tribal Leader outlining the over $4 Billion in funding provided to Indian Country in the American Rescue Plan to combat COVID-19. The letter highlights
- $600 Million to increase COVID-19 vaccinations in Indian Country
- $1 billion to detect, diagnose, trace, monitor, and mitigate COVID-19 infections
- $2 billion for tribal health systems due to lost reimbursements for care during the pandemic
- More than $84 million in assistance for urban Indian organizations
- $140 million for health IT and the necessary equipment to provide telehealth services
- $500 million to support overall health care services in Indian Country.
The release of the American Rescue Plan Act funding follows ongoing Tribal consultation between the federal government and Tribes on how to release these investments quickly and efficiently to Indian Country. Read the fact sheet here.
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NIHB Sends Letter of Support to Rep. Ruiz for H.R. 1888 |
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NIHB Submits Testimony to the House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States |
Witnesses included:
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Regina M LaBelle, Acting Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
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Geoffrey M. Laredo, Principal, Santa Cruz Strategies, LLC.
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Patricia L. Richman, National Sentencing and Resource Counsel, Federal Public and Community Defenders
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Mark Vargo, Pennington County State's Attorney, Legislative Committee Chairman, National District Attorneys Association
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Timothy Westlake, M.D., F.F.S.M.B., F.A.C.E.P., Emergency Department Medical Director, Pro Health Care Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital
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J. Deanna Wilson, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
With the ongoing substance abuse epidemic in Indian Country, NIHB will submit written testimony for the record in the next few weeks. Watch the full hearing here.
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UPDATES FROM THE FEDERAL & STATE ADMINISTRATIONS |
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HHS Announces an Expansion of the COVID-19 Vaccine Program to all Community Health Centers Across the U.S |
On April 2, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an announcement on the expansion of the COVID-19 Vaccine Program to all Community Health Centers Across the Country. Specifically, all Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded health centers are now eligible to participate in the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program. The total number of health centers involved in this program, through this announcement will now be increased to 1,470 nationwide. A list of eligibility and qualifications can be found by clicking here. Visit the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center at: www.nihb.org/covid-19.
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HRSA Announcement on the Rural Health Network Development Program |
On April 5, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a notice on the Rural Health Network Development Program. This program is designed to aid rural health care networks that have combined with other health care services and networks to address the health care needs of the entirety of their rural community. Specifically, this notice requests rural health centers and facilities to provide HRSA with program data related to population demographics, staffing, and sustainability. Because many Tribally run hospitals and facilities are located in rural America, this request for information may affect your community. For more information on the recent work the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) has done on HRSA’s definition of rural please click here. Comments on this program and process are due May 5, 2021.
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FCC Rule on the COVID-19 Telehealth Program |
On April 9, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a rule on their COVID-19 Telehealth Program, Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers. This rule details the process of distributing funding through the FCC-funded COVID-19 Telehealth Program to health care providers during the pandemic. This rule is effective April 9, 2021. During the pandemic telehealth and telephonic health care services have been seen to aid Tribal communities by providing timely, socially distant medical services to those who were unable to visit a clinic or hospital. Additional funding for these services could aid Tribal communities in providing access to additional telehealth services. For more information on the work the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) has done in relation to telehealth advocacy please click here to read a letter from the Tribal Technical Advisory Group (TTAG) to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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NIHB Comments on OMB’s Tribal Consultation Plan |
On April 9, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the recent Tribal consultation that took place on April 2nd and 5th regarding the development of the OMB’s new Tribal consultation plan. Some highlights from these comments include the need for Tribes to request a consultation with OMB at any time, the need for OMB to sporadically measure how well other federal agencies are honoring the trust responsibility, the need for top-level leadership at OMB to be accessible to Tribal leaders, and the need for OMB to work with Tribes and federal agencies to determine the correct amount of funding being offered with the most sufficient distribution method for Tribes. Overall, NIHB’s comments expressed the specific need for a government-to-government relationship that OMB should strive for when creating policy and legislation pertaining to Tribes and Tribal citizens.
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GRANTS, RESOURCES AND EVENTS |
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Tribal Public Health Summit Attendee Registration Still Open! |
Attendee registration deadline: Tuesday, April 27, 2021
The National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) National Tribal Public Health Summit (TPHS) welcomes hundreds of participants each year. Attendees of the TPHS include Tribal leaders, decision-makers, federal employees, public health and health care workers, clinicians, and administration staff from various health care settings across Indian Country. View the agenda here and reserve your spot today!
As part of the Summit, the Virtual Exhibit Hall is hosted on the Summit’s virtual platform Pathable, where attendees and visitors can interact with exhibitors and learn more about their organizations, resources, and information. The virtual experience offers exhibitors the opportunity to engage with conference attendees while generating leads more easily than at an in-person conference.
For more information regarding attendee registration, the artist marketplace, or becoming an official sponsor, visit the TPHS website.
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Announces Listening Session |
April 20, 2021
3:30 P.M. EST
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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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NCAI Mid-Year Conference Registration Open |
Registration for the National Congress for American Indians Mid-Year Conference is now open. The conference will occur virtually this year and provide tribal leaders and partners an opportunity to discuss work on issues facing Tribal Nations. The virtual conference will be held:
June 20-24, 2021
Early Bird Registration Deadline: May 30, 2021
The conference agenda can be found on NCAI’s website here.
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CMS Extends Healthcare.gov Marketplace Special Enrollment Period |
For more information on the special enrollment period, visit the CMS website here.
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Visit the NIHB COVID-19 Tribal Resource Center at:
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