SPECIAL NIHB REPORT

1 ISSUE 11 -7. APRIL 29, 22011. enroolled citizen oof the Navajo o Nation andd the INSIDE THIS ISSUE Whiite House Staaffer primarilly responsiblle for outrreach to Ameerican Indian ns and Alaskaa SPECIA AL REPOR RT: NIHB Hosts H Health Natiives (AI/AN Ns), spoke of the Presiden nt's Care Reeform Implem mentation Suummit commmitment to T Tribal nationns. He stated that the PPresident waants to hear ffrom Tribal ACA Exxpedited Sup preme Court Hearing leadeers on a varieety of issues,, including th hose Denied relevvant to the T. Tribal access tto the Federaal Empployees Heallth Benefits ((FEHB) proggram, NIHB PPACA.)

2 P Outrreach Surveyy Launched whicch he called, pressing. H He also spokke to the PPresident's bbudget requesst to Congress for Fiscaal Year 20122, making notte of fights ah head, SPECIAL NIHB. N REP. PORT but aaffirming thee President's commitmen nt to increeasing funds for IHS. Highligh hts of the NIHB. N Triball Health Care Refform Implemmentation Summit S Dr. R Roubideaux provided an update on th he impllementation of the Patien nt Protection n and On April 19th and 20thh, National In ndian Healthh Affoordable Care Act (PPACA A) and the Inndian Board hoosted its Natiional Tribal Health H Reform Heallth Care Impprovement A Act (IHCIA).

3 She Implementa tation Summit at the Washiington Courtt noteed that while there are som me challengees to Hotel in Washington, W DC. With a speaking PPAACA, both leggislative and judicial, therre is program that included d key officials from the suppport for the eentire law, esspecially IHCCIA, Obama Administratio A on, Tribal Leaaders, and in booth Houses oof Congress. The Directo or others wiith expertise on the impleementation said that the new w law will be incredibly of health care reform,, and its relattionship with h beneeficial to IHSS, providing iincreased Tribal health, attendeees sat in on full-group f flexiibility and chhoice to patieents and increeased and breakkout panels on o relevant, current c reim mbursements for She also issues.

4 Affirrmed that IHHS continues to move forw ward on a number of iissues includding the defin nition After opeening remarkks from Chairrperson, of Inndian, accesss to FEHB, aand the Cathy Ab bramson, and d Executive Director, D Mem morandum of Understandding between n the Stacy Boh hlen, the Sum mmit began with w a panel Deppartment of V Veteran's Afffairs and IHSS. As entitled, A. View from m the Admin nistration. alwaays, she invitees Tribes andd Tribal This first session of Administratio A on panels orgaanizations to submit comments on an ny featured Charles C Galb braith, who iss the Tribbal health-relaated issue to her at: Associatee Director at the Office of o Public Engagem ment in the White W House and a Dr.

5 Yvette Ro oubideaux, Director D of th he Indian Health Seervice (IHS). Mr. Galbraitth, an NIHB 9266 PENNSYLVAN. NIA AVE, SE, WA N, DC 20003 (202) 507-40700 . ASHINGTON Pagee 2 of 4. Followingg remarks fro om the Administration manndate to carryy health insurrance and thee was a pan nel entitled, To Insure or Not N Insure?, definnition of Inddian for the p purposes of focusing on the poten ntial advantagges and enfoorcing that mmandate as weell as honorin ng drawbackks, if any, to Tribes T and in ndividual the eexemption. T The final speaker was Andrew memberss purchasing private health insurance Reinn, the Associaate Director for Policy att the through state-based s exchanges.

6 Paanelists Centters for Diseease Control and Preventiion. Carol Barrbero and Ellliott Milholliin, both His presentationn centered on n new public partners at a the law firm m Hobbs, Sttraus, Dean, healtth benefits inn PPACA, in ncluding increeased and Walkker, along witth Jim Croucch, the acceess to prevenntive services,, the Preventtion Executivee Director off the Californ nia Rural and Public Healtth Fund, andd a National Indian Health Board, provided an n overview Prevvention Strateegy. and advicce. Overall, access to insuurance through exchanges e haas the potentiial to The next panel, State Based H Health Insurannce expand afffordable covverage to thee members Exchhanges: What D Do They Meann for Individuaal of many Tribes.

7 T Tribees that wish to t purchase Indiaans and Tribes,s, updated participants on the insurancee on behalf ofo their memb bers will estabblishment off exchanges, as well as Triibal have a nuumber of issuues to consid der including,, recoommendationns for the pro ogram. Clairee how to determine eliggibility, consuulting with McA Andrew, a Heealth Policy A Analyst with the states, spo onsorship off premiums, and a access non--profit, Famiilies USA, sp poke on the vvaried to providder stagees of implemmentation stattes are in as tthey workk to establishh exchanges b before 2014. Lisa Day one of the Summ mit ended witth two Wilsson and Lisa Marie Gomeez with CCIIIO.

8 Sessions ofo break-out workshops. Two discuussed the reqquirement fo or state-Tribaal workshop ps, Medicaid 101 and H Health Reform conssultation as a condition o of establishingg 101, gavve those new to Tribal heaalth basic exchhanges. Finallly, Myra Mun nson, a partn ner overviews on these to opics. Otherss, like Tribes withh the law firm m, Sonosky, C Chambers, as Employyers and Sponsoors and New w Sachhse, Miller, annd Munson, presented Trribal Opportunitities and Challeenges for Indiann Health recoommendationns for the implementation n of Providers focused morre on specificc provisions exchhanges, includding revisingg the definitio on of and progrrams within PPACA and IHCIA.

9 Indiian, ensuring that web po ortals for Finally, thhe Health Reesources and Services insuurance purchaase are AI/A AN friendly, aand Administtration and th he Administrration for allowwing Tribes tto sponsor th he premiumss of Children and Familiess, discussed new n grant theirr members. opportun nities for Trib bes under PP PACA. The third and finnal session off workshops NIHB ho osted a secon nd session off a View from m conccentrated on PPACA's in nteraction witth a the Obamaa Administratiion panel, thhis time varieety of AI/AN N constituen ncies. Summitt featuring federal agen ncy tasked witth partiicipants coulld choose fro om breakout implemen nting parts of PPACA.

10 Stteve Larsen, sessiions that adddressed what PPACA means the Direcctor of the Ceenter for Con nsumer to thhe individual AI/AN, to tthe public heealth Informatiion and Insuurance Oversight and prevention aarena, to beh havioral health h, (CCIIO), spoke of thee Administraation's and to elder caree. As PPACA A is far-reachhing commitm ment to work with stakeho olders, and concerned w with all aspeccts of health ccare, includingg Tribes, on the t establishm ment of statee learnning about hoow it changees and benefiits and federral health insuurance exchaanges. thes e areas of heealth is vital tto Tribes andd Christie Jacobs, J the Director D of thhe Office of provviders.