April 23, 2021 | Issue 21-14 |
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Senate Finance Committee Votes on the Nomination of Andrea Joan Palm to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services and Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services |
It is currently unclear if the Senate will move forward with the nomination of Chiquita Brooks-LaSure or if the Biden Administration will withdraw her nomination. To watch the April 15 Senate Finance Committee hearing to consider both nominations, visit the committee website here.
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Bryan Newland Nominated to Lead Interior Department on Indian Affairs |
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House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States Holds Infrastructure Hearing |
Witnesses included:
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The Honorable Kevin Killer, President, Oglala Lakota Nation
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The Honorable William Aila, Jr., Chairman, Hawaiian Homes Commission
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The Honorable Andrew Joseph, Jr., Council Member, Colville Business Council
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Dr. Traci Morris, PhD, Executive Director, American Indian Policy Institute
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Mr. Walter Haase, General Manager, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority
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Ms. Megan Alvanna Stimpfle, Self-Governance Liaison, Norton Sound Health Corporation
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UPDATES FROM THE FEDERAL & STATE ADMINISTRATIONS |
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Registration is Now Open for the CMS ITU Albuquerque Training |
From April 26 to May 5, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting the Albuquerque region Indian Health Service, Tribal Health Program, and Urban Indian Programs (ITU) training. In partnership with the Indian Health Service (IHS), this training aims to inform patient benefit advocates on the types of benefits offered through the Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Marketplace (CHIP), and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Individuals who work as business office staff, benefits coordinators, patient registration staff, medical records staff, and contract health services staff should attend this webinar. This webinar will be virtual so anyone interested can sign up for the whole training or even just a section of the training.
NIHB would also like to thank those that participated in the Portland and Billings CMS ITU training!
If you are interested in attending, please register here.
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IHS Dear Tribal Leader Letter on an Update to the Distribution of Funds through ARP |
On April 16, the Indian Health Service (IHS) released a Dear Tribal Leader Letter on the allocation of $4.3 billion in appropriated resources from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP). Specifically, allocations include those for Tribal Health Programs and Urban Indian Organizations (UIO). Using existing distribution methodologies two billion will be allocated to lost reimbursement, $500 million will be distributed to Purchased/Referred Care, $84 million for Urban Indian Health Programs, $140 million for Information Technology and the IHS Electronic Health Record, $600 million for COVID-19 vaccine activities, and one billion for other COVID-19 resources. Tribal Health Programs will be granted these funds through amendments in their Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA), while Urban Indian Organizations will receive these funds through their existing Indian Health Care Improvement Act contracts. On March 19, 2021, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) sent a letter to IHS on recommendations for how to distribute these funds provided to IHS through the ARP to Indian Country.
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OMH Joint Letter on the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity |
On March 12, 2021, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and seven other American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health organizations submitted a letter to the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This letter specified issues with the construction process of the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity, which Congress created to support health research, education, services, and policy development aimed at creating Indigenous solutions to eventually reduce disparities in AI/AN populations. The letter details that this proposal does not properly acknowledge the existence of Tribes as distinct political entities. This letter also states that it is OMH’s duty to honor the trust responsibility and provide a thorough consultation on the Center’s creation with AI/AN leaders.
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IHS Dear Tribal Leader Letter on the Project Environment Database |
On April 12, the Indian Health Service (IHS) released a Dear Tribal Leader Letter on how to access the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Protect environment database. HHS Protect is an environment that uses different platforms for data sharing connected to over 200 sources of public health information. Through this program, HHS, federal agencies, and the White House will be able to implement their “Whole of America” response to the continued fight against COVID-19, which could ultimately eliminate the spread of COVID-19 infections. Specifically, HHS Protect is designed as a tool to inform policymakers on health information so that they can make informed decisions at the state, tribal, territorial government, and private sector levels.
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Listening Session/Roundtable Discussion on Operation Lady Justice |
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Xavier Becerra and the Renewal of Determination of the Public Health Emergency |
On April 15, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an announcement on the continuation of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). The new Secretary of HHS, Xavier Becerra, released a statement stating that the department is renewing the PHE nationwide effective April 21, 2021. The statement did not provide a specific end date for the PHE, and this is the fifth time the Secretary of HHS has renewed the emergency since January 27, 2020. For information on what the National Indian Health Board has compiled for Tribal citizens and communities in relation to the COVID-19 PHE please click here.
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GRANTS, RESOURCES AND EVENTS |
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CDC to Hold a Listening Session with Tribes During the Tribal Public Health Summit |
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold a listening session on Wednesday, April 28 from 1:45 PM to 3:45 PM during the 2021 Tribal Public Health Summit. This free session will provide a forum for the CDC to hear directly from Tribal nations on current and ongoing public health challenges, Tribal public health priorities, technical assistance needs, and strengthening CDC consultation with Tribes. Leadership from CDC’s Emergency Operation Center COVID-19 Response, Vaccine Task Force, and Public Health Service and Implementation Science, among others, will be present. Hosts and moderators will be Chief Bill Smith, NIHB Chairperson and Alaska Area Representative, and Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner, CDC Tribal Advisory Committee Co-chair.
Attend this free session by registering for the Listening Sessions, Consultation Sessions, and No-Cost Institutes here!
If you haven't already registered for the full Tribal Public Health Summit, click here to do so!
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Department of Veterans Affairs Consultation on American Indian and Alaska Natives Veteran’s Documentation |
On March 29, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a Dear Tribal Leader Letter on a request for Tribal leaders to participate in a discussion on the documentation for veterans who are Tribal members and are entitled to accessing care from the VA health care system. The VA is seeking input from Tribal governments, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), and Urban Indians on a form of official documentation that can be used to identify Veterans who are also AI/ANs. This official documentation will aid health care facilities in distinguishing Veteran AI/ANs to ensure no collection of copayments are necessary for their receipt of medical services.
A virtual tribal consultation session will be held:
Thursday, April 29, 2021
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT
Written comments can be sent via email before May 29, 2021, to
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FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program Funding Opportunity |
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is providing a COVID-19 Telehealth Program funding opportunity. The program provides funding to eligible health care providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic to support the telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices needed to provide critical connected care. Read more here. Applications open on Thursday, April 29, and close on Thursday, May 6. When applications open, you may apply here.
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National Council of Urban Indian Health Annual Conference |
If you would like to register for the conference, click here.
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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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