In This Issue

On July 15, 2014, NIHB Chairperson Cathy Abramson testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs in support of H.R. 3229 which would provide advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS).  The written testimony can be found here , and you can view the video of the hearing here.  The testimony on H.R. 3229 starts at 1:19:30.

Maniilaq Association President/ CEO Tim Schuerch also testified in support of H.R. 3229.  While NIHB provided a national perspective, Maniilaq provided examples of how delays in appropriations impede the day-to-day management of health delivery. Both testimonies made it clear that advance appropriations would avoid wasteful spending and provide a better continuum of care for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Before this legislation will advance in Congress, it is critical that we gather additional co-sponsors to the legislation. Here's how you can help:

1. Pass a resolution or send a letter to Congress in support of IHS advance appropriations. You can view samples here: http://nihb.org/legislative/advance_appropriations.php 

    

2. Send #AdvanceIHS postcards to your member of Congress - please email [email protected] to request postcards.

    

3. Tweet at your Member of Congress or Congressional Leader - "@___guarantee financial security for American Indians and American Indian veterans. #AdvanceIHS

    

4. Cut and Paste this into Facebook: "Join me in telling Congress to protect American Indian and Alaska Native patients from Washington's budget battles. I'm taking action with NIHB to support IHS advance appropriations. #AdvanceIHS"  

Please contact Caitrin Shuy, Director of Congressional Relations, at (202) 507-4085 or [email protected] with any questions on IHS advance appropriations. 

On July 15, the Appropriations Committee passed the FY 2015 Interior Appropriations bill by a vote of 29-19, on a largely party-line vote. The legislation would provide an increase of $208 million for IHS which is $8 million more than the President's request.  It gives an increase for Purchased / Referred care of $51 million and fully funds contract support costs. 

The accompanying committee report also includes language that supports expanding Medicare-Like Rates for IHS purchased/referred care beyond hospital services.  It also includes language that addresses inconsistent definitions of Indian across "various federal health programs," in order to address the definitions of Indian in the Affordable Care Act. NIHB will continue to work with Congress and the Administration to ensure that this definition is clear so that all IHS-eligible American Indians and Alaska Natives have access to health benefits intended for them in the law. Click here to read more about this issue.

You can read the full committee report here. (IHS begins on page 83)

You can view a chart line-item chart of the proposed House legislation here.

With a compressed legislative schedule between now and the November elections, and partisan divisions on appropriations priorities, it is likely that the federal government will be headed for a continuing resolution to keep the government funded past September 30. 

The Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) is funded only through September 30, 2015. We need to act now to build support in Congress for the seamless continuation of this life-saving program. During August, Members of Congress will be working in their local areas, and this is a perfect time to invite them to visit your SDPI program!  

Site visits to your Tribe's SDPI location are an effective way for Members of Congress to see firsthand how federal dollars are working and saving money and lives at home. You are the faces. You are the stories. With your continued support, we will get this program renewed!  

NIHB is stepping up to be your partner in this effort by providing resources like an SDPI Site Visit Toolkit, ongoing communications, and staff support to ensure you can schedule and host a successful visit with your Members of Congress. Click here for a Toolkit on how to host a SDPI site visit.

So please, join with NIHB and participate in this exciting effort. Together we can make a real difference and ensure a strong and continued federal investment in SDPI.

You can learn more about past SDPI site visits and download Fact Sheets by visiting: http://www.nihb.org/sdpi/host.php  

On Wednesday, July 30th, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) invites Tribal leaders, language stakeholders, and immersion schools to Capitol Hill for a day of advocacy and information-sharing to protect and advance Native language immersion schools.

Click here to view more information on this Legislative Action Day!

On July 22, two federal courts came to contradictory decisions on interpretations of language in the Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148) (the "Act"). At issue are health insurance subsidies to be paid to individuals in states that use the federal health insurance exchange (also referred to as marketplace). In the Act, the section on health insurance subsidies states that subsidies can be paid to anyone who signs up for coverage in "an Exchange established by the State." The section does not mention the federal exchange.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Affordable Care Act does not authorize the IRS to provide premium subsidies on the federal marketplace exchange. Coming to the opposite conclusion, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the IRS does have this authority.

While the path forward is unclear at this juncture, the issue could be headed to the Supreme Court.  You can read more about these cases here.