June 2013 Blogs

Affordable Care Act Update

Please see the press release we posted today announcing that the Department of Health and Human Services approved an exemption for all American Indians and Alaska Natives who are eligible for IHS services from the minimum responsibility payment related to the Affordable Care Act.

Update on Contract Support Costs

On June 12, I sent a letter [PDF – 56KB] to tribal leaders providing an update on Contract Support Costs (CSC). The letter includes additional information on the FY 2014 President’s Budget proposal and requests input on CSC appropriations. It also provides an update on the status of the resolution of past CSC claims.

To complete the FY 2014 President's Budget proposal for CSC related to the proposal for new CSC appropriations language, IHS transmitted the IHS line-by-line list of tribal contracts and compacts and the not-to-exceed amount of proposed FY 2014 CSC funding based on the FY 2014 President’s Budget Request. The list is posted at this link. The list was developed using FY 2012 data, which is the most recent available, and it allocates the additional funds proposed for FY 2014 consistent with the IHS CSC Policy, i.e., 50 percent using the bottoms-up method and 50 percent on a proportionate basis. This list was transmitted to Congress on June 14 with a commitment to provide technical assistance to the appropriations Subcommittees on updating the list as the FY 2014 appropriations bill moves through the congressional process.

Comments are welcome on these updates at consultation@ihs.gov.