October 2011 Blogs

Youth Regional Treatment Center Directors’ Summit

IHS convened its first IHS-funded Youth Regional Treatment Center (YRTC) Directors Summit on October 18, 2011. The YRTCs provide inpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment to American Indian and Alaska Native youth and are an important part of our Indian healthcare system. Here’s a few pictures from the meeting:

Click on the thumbnails for larger images

---

Expansion of Self Governance in HHS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) recently provided a letter [PDF - 717K] with an update on progress made on advancing tribal self-governance in the work of HHS to improve health care and human services programs for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Recently, the HHS Intradepartmental Council on Native American Affairs and Secretary Sebelius’s Tribal Advisory Committee reviewed options to expand tribal self-governance beyond the Indian Health Service and into other operating divisions in HHS.

---

Tribal Delegation Meetings

IHS recently met with the Maniilaq Association from Alaska, the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation from Alaska, and the Tohono O’odham Nation from Arizona in Tribal Delegation Meetings at IHS Headquarters. These Tribal Delegation Meetings are so important to our partnership with Tribes because the issues we discuss help us understand tribal priorities and work through pending issues. Here are pictures from the recent meetings:

Click on the thumbnails for larger images

---

White House Tribal Nations Conference Announcement

The White House issued a press release Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  today to announce that the 2011 White House Tribal Nations Conference will be held on December 2, 2011.

---

National Library of Medicine: Native Voices Exhibit

I attended and spoke at the opening of the Native Voices Exhibit at the National Library of Medicine on the National Institutes of Health campus on October 5, 2011. The exhibit features Native peoples’ concepts of health and illness. I encourage you to visit the exhibit if you are in the Washington, D.C., area.

Here are some pictures from the opening event:

Click on the thumbnails for larger images

---

Contract Support Costs Consultation

I recently sent a letter to Tribes to initiate a consultation to review the 2007 Contract Support Costs Policy. I plan to convene a workgroup of tribal leaders to develop recommendations that will be made available to all Tribes for review and input before a final decision. Here is a copy of the letter [PDF - 22K] with further details.

---

FY 2011 Accomplishments

I recently sent an email to our IHS ALL email list to highlight some accomplishments of FY 2011. We are making progress in our efforts to change and improve the organization and I wanted to thank our employees and our partners as we enter a new fiscal year and work to continue to make progress in reforming the IHS. Here is a copy of the email. [PDF - 1.8MB]

---

We want to hear from you about Affordable Insurance Exchanges

One of the most important responsibilities that we have at HHS is listening to the American people, including tribal communities. This means hearing from you about the needs in your communities and making sure we are doing what we can to meet those needs. As an example of this commitment, we wanted to get your input about some changes coming to the health insurance market designed to give you better choices.

Starting in 2014, we are implementing Affordable Insurance Exchanges that will allow you to compare qualified health plans, get answers to questions, and enroll in a qualified health plan that best fits the needs of you and your family. Exchanges are State-based marketplaces designed to make buying private health coverage easier and more affordable and give you the same kinds of choices as Members of Congress. It will be a one-stop-shop for all of your health insurance needs. And that’s why we want to make sure that we give you the opportunity to consider all of the regulations together when you tell us what you think about them.

We want to hear from you about the Affordable Insurance Exchanges. The three proposed rules issued seek to create a path to a simple, seamless and affordable system of coverage for you and your family and include information on enrolling in qualified health plans and insurance affordability programs, as well as Medicaid eligibility and how individuals and families can receive premium tax credits to make health insurance coverage more affordable.

The deadline for comments on our proposal for Affordable Insurance Exchanges (also called a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM) has been extended to October 31st. The new deadline for comments is now the same deadline as for the Exchange-related proposals that were released in August. View the NPRMs. Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  We look forward to hearing from you.

---

National Indian Health Board Annual Consumer Conference

I attended the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) Annual Consumer Conference in Anchorage, AK, during the last week in September. The theme of the meeting was “Health, Hope and Heroes: Using the Foundations of Tribal Values and Knowledge to Advance Native Health.” The meeting featured the latest on the Affordable Care Act, as well as participation from several HHS operating divisions, including IHS, CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA and CMS. Here are some pictures from the meeting:

Click on the thumbnails for larger images

---

Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC) met in September in Washington, D.C. The STAC is the first cabinet level group of its kind and it advises Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on health and human services programs that benefit American Indians and Alaska Natives. During this meeting, the STAC met with the Secretary and discussed several topics, including the Affordable Care Act implementation, better grant access, eligibility and outreach to tribes, expansion of self-governance in HHS, and tribal consultation. Here’s a picture from the meeting:

Click on the thumbnails for larger images