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Posted June 18, 2021
Biden Administration Invests Additional $1.8 Billion in American Rescue Plan Funding to Combat COVID-19 in Indian Country
On Tuesday, June 16, the Biden Administration announced an additional investment of $1.8 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to combat COVID-19 in Indian Country. This is in addition to an investment of more than $4 billion that was announced in April 2021. This investment is meant to strengthen the public health infrastructure in Indian Country, continue efforts to detect and treat COVID-19, support mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment, and meet facility and equipment needs.
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Posted June 18, 2021
Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act, Secures Indian Health Care Improvement Act
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB), representing the health interests of all 574 federally recognized Tribes, applauds the United States Supreme Court for upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a 7-2 decision on California v. Texas that challenged the law as unconstitutional. The high court's decision protects Medicaid Expansion and secures the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) which is the foundation of the modern Indian health care system.
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Posted June 17, 2021
NIHB Letter to IHS on their Tribal Consultation Policy
On June 15, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) sent a letter to the Acting Director at the Indian Health Service (IHS) on the IHS Tribal Consultation Policy. The letter details the need for IHS to update its consultation policy to include increased accountability, the acknowledgement of honoring the Tribe's right to request consultation at any time, and the establishment of continuous opportunities for meaningful engagement in policies that effect American Indian and Alaska Native people. NIHB requests that IHS issue a Dear Tribal Leader Letter 30 days after every consultation, providing an overview of the discussion with next steps for the agency to take. Similarly, IHS should avoid rapid consultation by implementing a policy to provide a 30-day notice of upcoming consultation. Finally, the letter also details the need for IHS to respect the sovereignty of Tribal communities' requests and continued involvement from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the IHS Budget Formulation process. As IHS reviews the comments on its Tribal Consultation Policy, NIHB will keep Tribes informed regarding the implementation of these and other recommendations brought forth by Tribes and Tribal Organizations.
Read the letter here.
Posted June 1, 2021
President Biden Releases his FY 2022 Congressional Justification
On May 28, President Joseph R. Biden released the Congressional Justification for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Presidential Budget. The Congressional Justification is the second part of the President's FY 2022 Discretionary Budget. The first part was the President's FY 2022 Budget Request that was released on April 9, 2021, and provided an overview of the President's budget priorities. The Congressional Justification provides a more in-depth analysis of the President's budget requests and proposed funding levels for various federal agencies.
Read NIHB's analysis of the budget here.
Posted May 17, 2021
NIHB Submits Testimony to the Department of Health and Human Services
On May 7, the National Indian Health Board submitted written testimony to the Department of Health and Human Services for the fiscal year 2023 National Tribal Budget Consultation. The testimony outlined Tribal funding requests for various departments throughout HHS including the Indian Health Service, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Office of Minority Health.
Read NIHB's full testimony here.
Posted April 29, 2021
NIHB Closes Tribal Public Health Summit with Public Health Innovation Awards Presentation
Today, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), the only Tribal organization that represents solely the healthcare needs and interests of all 574 federally recognized Tribes, presented its annual Public Health Innovation Awards in three categories - national, regional and local - for outstanding work on COVID-19 response and vaccine distribution. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez received the national award, the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla's Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center received the regional award and the local award went to Vangie Natan with the White Mountain Apache Rainbow Treatment Center.
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Posted April 28, 2021
NIHB Reminds Federal, Congressional Partners of Treaty Obligations at National Tribal Public Health Summit
At today's National Indian Health Board (NIHB) virtual National Tribal Public Health Summit, plenary guest speakers, which included an official from the Administration for Native Americans and two members of Congress, each touched on three factors that impact Tribal public health: social determinants of health, health disparities and racism.
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Posted April 27, 2021
Federal Partners, Tribal Leaders, Native Youth Carry Messages of Resiliency, Overcoming COVID-19 Trauma at National Tribal Public Health Summit
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) opened its annual National Tribal Public Health Summit with messages from federal agency partners, Tribal leaders and experts on Tribal public health. The annual Summit is the premier public health event dedicated to public health practice, innovation, policy and advocacy in Indian Country. Messages of resiliency and strength resonated throughout the opening plenary speakers' words, and there was also an acknowledgement of the profound trauma that COVID-19 was left behind as it moved through Tribal communities.
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