Interest Rate Reduction Act - NIHB

1 ISSUE 12 -17. APRIL 30, 2012. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Because of these disparate funding levels, the House and Senate will be passing very different House Appropriations Sets Spending appropriations bills, which will place more Limits for FY 2013 pressure on the budget reconciliation process. Stay tuned for updates from NIHB. 268 Representatives and 70 Senators Sign on to Support Letters for SDPI House Passes Student Loan Bill Using Money from ACA Fund Staffing Changes at the White House On April 27th, the House passed 4628, the Interest Rate Reduction Act, a bill to ensure that HILL UPDATES Interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford student loans do not double over the next year.

2 House Appropriations Sets Spending Limits However, this is accomplished by taking $12. for FY 2013 billion from the Affordable Care Act's (ACA). Prevention and Public Health Fund. Since On April 25th, by a mostly party-line vote of 28- enactment of the ACA, the fund has been used to 21, the House Appropriations Committee passed increase the health professions workforce, and to spending limits for each of the twelve fund community-level health interventions like appropriations subcommittees for Fiscal Year tobacco cessation, exercise programs, and (FY) 2013.

3 Known as 302(b) allocations, these increasing access to healthy foods. spending limits are reflective of the budget resolution, also known as the Ryan Budget, that The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is the chamber passed last month. The budget unlikely to see floor action. President Obama has resolution provides for a total discretionary threatened to veto the bill if it does move to his spending limit of $ trillion, which is $19 desk. billion less than the level agreed to in the Budget Control Act (BCA) and $15 billion less than FY NIHB UPDATES.

4 2012 enacted appropriations. The House 302(b). allocation for the Subcommittee on Interior, 268 Representatives and 70 Senators Sign on Environment, and Related Agencies, the to Support Letters for SDPI. Subcommittee responsible for funding the Indian Health Service (IHS), is $28 billion. Conversely, With the help of National Indian Health Board the Senate has set its total budget for FY 2013 at (NIHB), American Diabetes Association, and the BCA-reflective level of $ trillion, with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the co- the Interior Subcommittee's 302(b) allocation at chairs of the Diabetes Caucus in each chamber of $ billion.

5 Congress have finished circulating support letters for the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) and the Special Diabetes Program. NIHB 926 PENNSYLVANIA AVE, SE, WASHINGTON, DC 20003 (202) 507-4070 Page 2 of 4. discuss current trends, opportunities, evidence- In the House, the co-chairs of the House based practice, policy and needs within the Tribal Diabetes Caucus, Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) health system. The National Tribal Public Health and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) are sending a letter to Summit provides an unprecedented opportunity leadership with the signatures of 268 to build relationships between Tribal health representatives.

6 Organizations, national organizations, private foundations, and federal agencies that support In the Senate, the co-chairs of the Senate public health program access and implementation Diabetes Caucus, Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and across Indian country. Jean Shaheen (D-NH), are sending a letter to leadership with the signatures of 70 senators. To view more information about the Summit, including the draft agenda click here. The letters express support for the past successes of SDPI and the need for it to continue to make positive change in Indian Country.

7 Established in ADMINISTRATION UPDATES. 1997 for the prevention and treatment of diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Natives Staffing Changes at the White House (AI/ANs), SDPI is expiring at the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. As Congress begins to consider In a recent blog post, White House Senior Policy reauthorizing this life-saving program, the broad- Advisory for Native American Affairs, Kim based support from Representatives and Senators Teehee, announced that she was resigning her on these letters is crucial.

8 Post to pursue new endeavors. Ms. Teehee will be replaced by Jodi Gillette, former Deputy Assistant On March 7th, NIHB hosted a Tribal briefing and Secretary to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Caucus in order to prepare Tribal Leaders to for Policy and Economic Development in the advocate for the continuation of SDPI. For more Department of the Interior. information on this meeting and SDPI. reauthorization, please contact Liz Malerba, To read the blog post, click here. Legislative Assistant, at To read the White House Announcement on Ms.

9 Gillette's new position , click here. NIHB to Host Public Health Summit May 30. June 1. HHS Announces New Affordable Care Act Options for Community-Based Care The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is holding its 3rd Annual National Tribal Public New opportunities in Medicaid and Medicare that Health Summit May 30 June 1, 2012 at the Hard will allow people to more easily receive care and Rock Casino in Tulsa, OK. The theme is, Our services in their communities rather than being Health, Our Way: Achieving Healthy Native admitted to a hospital or nursing home were Communities.

10 This event attracts Tribal announced recently by Health and Human decision-makers from across the country on Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. issues such as health promotion/disease prevention, behavioral health, environmental HHS finalized the Community First Choice rule, health, public health preparedness and emergency which is a new state plan option under Medicaid, response, and Tribal-State relations. and announced the participants in the Independence At Home Demonstration program. The Summit is convened to provide a national The demonstration encourages primary care forum for Tribal leaders, Legislators, decisions practices to provide home-based care to makers, Tribal Health Directors, medical chronically ill Medicare patients.