February 2015 Blogs

IHS Update

Please see email announcement [PDF - 84 KB]. Dr. Yvette Roubideaux is currently the Senior Advisor to the Secretary for American Indians and Alaska Natives, Department of Health and Human Services, and Mr. Robert McSwain is the Acting IHS Director.

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NCAI 13th Annual State of Indian Nations Address

I attended the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 13th Annual State of Indian Nations Address in Washington, D.C., last month. Here is a picture from the event. You can view more pictures on the NCAI Flickr site. Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

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President Obama’s November 2014 Meeting with Tribal Leaders

Here is a photo of the Tribal Leaders who had the opportunity to meet with President Obama the day before the White House Tribal Nations Conference this past November.

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IHS Contract Support Costs Workgroup

I met with the IHS Contract Support Costs (CSC) Workgroup in January. We discussed the FY 2016 President’s Budget that contains a proposal to shift CSC to a mandatory appropriation and continued work on improving calculations of CSC need. Here are pictures from the meeting:

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IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting

I met with the IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting in January. I also had the chance to deliver their 2013 IHS National Director’s Special Recognition Award for their great work on Affordable Care Act outreach and education through our National Indian Health Outreach and Education Initiative. I provided an IHS update, including information on the FY 2016 President’s Budget. Here are pictures from the meeting:

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Tribal Delegation Meetings – January 2015

IHS held Tribal Delegation Meetings with the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, the Ak Chin Indian Community, and the Quinault Nation. Here are pictures from the meetings:

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NCUIH Board of Directors’ Meeting

I met with the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) at their Board of Directors’ Meeting in January. Here is a picture from the meeting:

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First Nations Health Authority – British Columbia

I met with representatives from the First Nations Health Authority of British Columbia to discuss their interest in learning more about IHS, since they were the first Native group to assume management of health care services from Health Canada. Here is a picture from the meeting:

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Center for Native American Youth Roundtable

I attended the Center for Native American Youth 16th Policy and Resource Roundtable: “Generation Indigenous” in January, where federal officials met with other representatives from organizations and with Native youth to discuss the President’s new initiative for Native youth. Here are pictures from the event:

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IHS Purchased/Referred Care Workgroup Meeting

The IHS Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) Workgroup met in Denver, Colorado, in January. They discussed the Medicare-like Rates Notice of Proposed Rule Making and reviewed the PRC distribution formula. Here are pictures from the meeting:

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Johns Hopkins Winter Institute Course

I provided an IHS update at the recent Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Winter Institute during the course entitled: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding the Health of American Indians. Here are some pictures from the event:

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Indian Health Service FY 2016 Budget Slideshow

Attached for your information is a slideshow on the FY 2016 President's Proposed Budget [PDF - 84 KB].

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FY 2016 President’s Budget

The White House released a fact sheet [PDF - 82KB] today that summarizes the FY 2016 President’s Budget, which proposes a $1.5 billion increase over the FY 2015 enacted level for a wide range of programs that serve Tribes. HHS also developed a fact sheet [PDF - 454KB] that summarizes the proposed budget for the Department of Health and Human Services. The summary includes IHS and additional investments in other HHS operating divisions, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Administration for Children and Families.

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$460 Million Budget Increase Proposed for Indian Health Service

The President’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget that was released on February 2 includes a 9.9% percent increase for the Indian Health Service (IHS), for a total budget authority of $5.1 billion. This represents a $460 million increase over the IHS FY 2015 appropriation. The total program level amount proposed for IHS, including the budget authority, estimated third-party collections, and reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, is $6.4 billion.

The proposed budget includes $25 million for IHS to fund more behavioral health providers and services for Native youth as a part of the Tribal Behavioral Health for Native Youth initiative, which is part of the President’s recently announced federal-wide Generation Indigenous Initiative to help improve lives and opportunities for Native youth.

Some other highlights of this proposed budget include:

• $185 million total to complete construction on the Gila River Health Center in Chandler, AZ, and to begin construction at the Salt River Health Center in AZ; the Rapid City Health Center in SD; and the Dilkon Alternative Rural Health Center in AZ.
• An additional $35 million for maintenance and improvement of facilities and an additional $35 million for sanitation facilities construction.
• An additional $55 million to continue fully funding the estimated need for Contract Support Costs (CSC) in FY 2016. Also included is a proposal to move CSC from the discretionary appropriation to a mandatory appropriation in FY 2017, as a long-term solution to fully funding CSC without impacting program budgets.
• An additional $70 million to help obtain health care from the private sector through the Purchased/Referred Care program. This program allows for the purchase of essential health care services that the IHS and Tribes do not provide in their local facilities.
• An additional $147 million increase to address medical inflation, population growth and pay costs.
• Increases for additional staffing for newly constructed facilities, improving third party collections, and health information technology.

If the budget is enacted, it would mean the IHS budget has increased 53 percent since FY 2008.

For more information, the IHS Congressional Justification is available at: http://www.ihs.gov/budgetformulation/congressionaljustifications. The Department of Health and Human Service Budget in Brief includes a summary of the IHS budget and is available at http://www.hhs.gov/budget. Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

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Affordable Care Act – National Tribal Day of Action

Today is the 3rd National Tribal Day of Action for Affordable Care Act Outreach and Enrollment. Across the nation, IHS facilities are holding events today to provide American Indian and Alaska Natives with information and help in understanding the Affordable Care Act and their potential benefits in the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Open enrollment ends on February 15, 2015. That means there are less than two weeks left in the Marketplace Open Enrollment period, so now is the time to act. All Americans must have health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. If not, they must claim an exemption or may have to pay a penalty. If you are a tribal member, you can enroll anytime, but it is important to know what your potential benefits would be if you purchased insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Enrolling is easy with the new streamlined application, and in-person help is always available at an IHS facility. You might also find out that you are newly eligible for Medicaid and you can enroll in Medicaid at any time. In addition, now that tax season is upon us, you can also file for an exemption when you file your taxes, even if you have coverage. Individuals who are tribal members and/or eligible for IHS services can claim an exemption.

You can always get care at IHS if you are eligible; but with health insurance, you will be covered, have more choices, and will be in the best position for your health. Once you are covered, it's easier to get care when and where you want it, and you can get peace of mind. Enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace today at www.healthcare.gov Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov .