The National Indian Health Board's Tribal Public Health Summit will take place at the Agua Caliente Casino, Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, California  from April 7-9, 2015.  The Summit has continued to grow each year, and now in its 6th year, this promises to be the largest Summit to date.  

REGISTRATION IS LIVE. You can click here for more information or call our offices at (202) 507-4070. 

Click here to view the draft agenda. 

On February 24, Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced S. 536, the "Indian Health Service Health Professions Tax Fairness Act of 2015."  The proposed legislation would amend the tax code to provide health care professionals who receive student loan repayments from the Indian Health Service (IHS) the same tax free status enjoyed by those who receive National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayments. 

Under both the IHS and NHSC programs, dentists, physicians, dental hygienists, and nurses provide health care services to underserved populations.  However, the IHS uses a large portion of its resources simply to pay the taxes that are assessed its loan recipients. In fact, the Service is spending 20 percent of its Health Professions' account for taxes.  Making the IHS loan repayments tax free would provide funding for many additional awards.   

The loan repayment program has proven to be the IHS' best recruitment and retention tool to ensure an adequate health workforce to serve in the many remote IHS locations.  In Fiscal Year 2014, the IHS was able to fund 379 new contracts and 331 contract extensions.  Due to a lack of funds, 586 requests were denied. Changing the tax status of the IHS loans to make them tax free would enable the agency to fill more of the loan repayment requests without increasing the IHS Health Professions' funding.  You can read the legislation by clicking here. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB) and the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) hosted a Data Symposium at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC on February 19th, 2015.  The symposium featured the latest data on key priorities in the delivery of healthcare services across Indian Country. 

Tribal leaders, federal representatives, and various staff attended the daylong event following the Tribal Technical Advisory Group (TTAG) Face-to-Face meeting the day before.  Notable topics included updates on the changes in American Indian and Alaska Native Medicaid Enrollment and Payment, updates on the Diabetes and Medicare Payments, information on Medicaid expansion, and updates on AI/AN Marketplace enrollment.

Copies of the PowerPoint presentations given at the Symposium are available here. 

For more information, please contact Devin Delrow at [email protected]. 

On February 26, 2015, Tribal leaders from across Indian Country participated in the 17th U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Annual Tribal Budget Consultation (ATBC) in Washington, DC.   During the consultation, the leaders heard from Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell and representatives from other HHS agencies including the Indian Health Service (IHS); Administration for Children and Families; Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Tribal leaders discussed issues of importance to Indian Country including support for the Administration's proposal to enact mandatory appropriations for contract support costs; support for advance appropriations at IHS; the need to support direct funding to Tribes at all HHS agencies, including CDC and SAMHSA; and support for the expansion of the Dental Health Aide Therapy Program.

Tribal Leaders also brought forward the need for a mental health agenda in Indian Country.  When addressing the SAMHSA budget, NIHB At-large Board Member Andy Joseph said: "The health disparities in our communities are large-especially pertaining to mental health and substance abuse. Please collaborate with other federal agencies and Tribes to develop an agenda outlining specific mental health issues and strategies for turning the issues into winnable battles."  SAMHSA Administrator Pam Hyde responded that the agency would work with Tribes on this.   

The Tribal Co-Chairs for the Tribal Budget Formulation Workgroup also presented a summary of the FY 2017 Tribal recommendation for IHS.  Tribes are recommending that the federal government fully fund IHS at $29.7 billion in FY 2017.  To begin a phase-in Tribes recommend $6.2 billion for IHS in FY 2017. You can read the summary of the recommendations by clicking here. 

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