June 4, 2021 | Issue 21-18 |
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Full Senate Confirms Chaquita Brooks-LaSure as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services |
On May 25, The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Chiquita Brooks-LaSure as the next administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The vote passed the Senate with bipartisan support 55-44 with Republican votes from Senators Roy Blunt (MO), Richard Burr (NC), Jerry Moran (KS), and Lisa Murkowski (AK). Administrator Brooks-LaSure's appointment was initially delayed due to a partisan battle between Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn and the Biden Administration after the Administration withdrew a special Medicaid waiver for Texas. Administrator Brooks-LaSure was sworn into her new position on Thursday, May 27, 2021.
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NIHB Submits Testimony to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Tribal COVID Experiences and Lessons Learned |
Earlier this week, NIHB submitted written testimony for the record to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in response to a May 19 hearing on “COVID-19 Health Care Flexibilities: Perspectives, Experiences, and Lessons Learned.” The hearing focused on the flexibilities to healthcare access that were created in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and hear recommendations on which new policies should be made permanent post-pandemic. NIHB’s testimony focused on Medicare and Medicaid flexibilities dealing with Medicaid reimbursement and telehealth waivers in Indian Country. Read NIHB’s full testimony here and watch the hearing on the committee website here.
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White House Announces Nearly $1 Billion Investment in Expanding Broadband on Tribal Land |
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UPDATES FROM THE FEDERAL & STATE ADMINISTRATIONS |
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Additional $14.2 million for Pediatric Mental Health Care from American Rescue Plan |
On May 20, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced an additional $14.2 million to expand pediatric mental health care access which includes telehealth services for pediatric primary care. This additional funding, from the American Rescue Plan, intends to also expand pediatric mental healthcare access projects to new geographic areas nationwide, including Tribal areas. This expansion could be beneficial for Tribal communities dealing with pediatric mental health issues in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications are due July 6, 2021.
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Collection Request from IHS on Tribal Investment in Commercial Electronic Health Records |
On May 18, the Indian Health Service (IHS) published a notice on an emergent review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on a collection request sent out to Tribal communities titled “Tribal Investment in Commercial Electronic Health Records”. This collection is an attempt for the IHS to more accurately understand which Tribal communities have upgraded their Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS) servers or own and maintain a non-RPMS electronic health record. Information gathered will ultimately help Congress to understand the financial burden Tribal communities are experiencing when replacing and updating the RPMS electronic health record system. Comments are due September 15, 2021. |
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New Updates for States on the Federal Upper Limit for Medicaid |
On June 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced updates to the Affordable Care Act Federal Upper Limit (FUL). The FUL is a calculation related to the regulations pertaining to Medicaid-covered outpatient drugs. This is important for calculating reimbursement for outpatient drugs in pharmacies located in Tribal communities that have Medicaid beneficiaries. The implementation date for states to implement FUL is June 30, 2021. Click here for Pharmacy Pricing that may relate to your Tribal community or pharmacy.
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IHS Dear Tribal Leader Letter on Listening Sessions for the Health Information Technology Project |
On May 26, the Indian Health Service (IHS) published a Dear Tribal Leader Letter and Urban Indian Organization Leader Letter on two listening sessions to receive input on the next steps for the Health Information Technology Modernization project. These sessions intend to collect feedback on the department's decision to fully replace the Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS) throughout Indian Country and will also include important updates on a draft of the Health Information Technology Modernization Statement of Objectives (SOO). These sessions will be held on June 15, 2021, and June 17, 2021.
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Dear Tribal Leader Letter from IHS on an Update to the Buy Indian Act of 1910 |
On May 28, the Indian Health Service (IHS) released a Dear Tribal Leader Letter on an extended comment period on proposed rulemaking for the implementation of the Buy Indian Act of 1910. The Buy Indian Act allows the IHS to collect IHS-related contracts for Indian owned businesses. The IHS will also hold a virtual Tribal consultation session for feedback from Tribal communities on the new proposed rulemaking of the Buy Indian Act. That consultation session will be held on June 9, 2021 and comments are due on June 21, 2021.
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New Guidance from CMS on the COVID Vaccine for Young Adults |
On May 28, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an information bulletin on updates to the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine. This update details the new availability of the vaccine for those aged 12-15 years, with guidance on vaccine implementation to this new age group. This information bulletin also reminds states of the need for outreach and education to implement efficient access to the vaccination as well as important information on cost-sharing and federal reimbursement for the administration of the vaccine. Tribes may use this guidance for Tribal facilities and other Tribal community areas where the COVID-19 vaccine is administered.
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Information Bulletin from CMS on the American Rescue Plan |
On June 3, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an information bulletin on general guidance related to the Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Basic Health Program and the provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). Some topic highlighted within this guidance includes mandatory coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine, support for Medicaid home and community-based services during the pandemic, as well as an extension of the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to Urban Indian Health Organizations. This information may be beneficial to Tribal health care facility employees who provide services to beneficiaries of CMS programs. This guidance will be continuously added to within the coming months as the provisions change in an effort for CMS to provide efficient technical assistance to states as they begin to implement specific changes from the ARP.
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GRANTS, RESOURCES AND EVENTS |
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IHS Virtual Tribal Consultation on IHS Tribal Consultation Policy and Process |
On Tuesday, June 8, 2021, the Indian Health Service is hosting a virtual Tribal Consultation session to seek Tribal input on how to improve the Tribal Consultation Policy and process.
Written comments and recommendations on the IHS consultation policy are due by Tuesday, June 15, 2021 and can be submitted to consultation@ihs.gov with the subject line “IHS Tribal Consultation Policy and Process.”
Time 1:00pm – 2:30 pm EDT
Phone: (833) 568-8864, Meeting ID: 161 5609 4640, Passcode: 571603
Zoom information can be found on the event page 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
The conference agenda can be found on NCAI’s website here.
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Administration for Children and Families Seeking Nominations for Tribal Advisory Committee |
- Albuquerque Primary and Alternate
- Billings Alternate
- California Alternate
- Oklahoma Primary and Alternate
- Phoenix Primary and Alternate
Vacancies will be filled on a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
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HRSA Seeking Nominations for a Tribal Advisory Council |
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is seeking nominations for their Tribal Advisory Council (TAC). These individuals are required to be Tribal officials who have the authority within their Tribe to act on behalf of their communities and who represent the collective views of the Tribes in the area from which they were nominated. These individuals when nominated will serve a length of two years before new nominations will take place. Currently, the areas open for nomination include the Albuquerque Area, California Area, Pheonix Area, and the Tucson Area. To see the work the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) has done on Tribal Advisory Committees please click here. Eligibility criteria for those interested in applying can be found 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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