HHS Tribal Consultation & Engagement Updates

Indian Health Service (IHS) Consultation on Updated Draft Tribal Consultation Policy: IHS is convening an additional consultation August 30, at 2:00 – 4:00pm ET related to its updated Draft Tribal Consultation Policy. The session is provide a forum for Tribal leaders to discuss the Overview and Summary of the initial consultation on the policy that began in April 2021. The Zoom registration for today's consultation is embedded in this Dear Tribal Leader Letter. Written comments may be submitted through September 11 to consultation@ihs.gov with the subject line "IHS Tribal Consultation Policy."

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Consultation on FY 2025 Budget: OMB is consulting with Tribes on the funding needs for services, programs, and activities serving Tribal communities to inform the formulation of the President's FY 2025 Budget. The consultation will take place virtually on September 27 from 1:00 – 4:00pm ET. Zoom registration information is included in the attached Dear Tribal Leader Letter. Written comments may be submitted until September 29 to tribalconsultation@omb.eop.gov.

HHS Annual Regional Tribal Consultations – Written Comments Open Until September 1: Over the summer, each of the ten HHS regions consulted with regional Tribes to discuss programmatic issues and Tribal priorities with regional and headquarters leadership. The consultations took place from June through August, with details and materials communicated from each region. Tribes may submit written comments for any of the regions through Friday, September 1, to consultation@hhs.gov.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Releases Draft Guidance on "Postmarketing Approaches to Obtain Data on Populations Underrepresented in Clinical Tribal for Drugs and Biological Products": Under existing regulations, clinical trials should include patient populations that are historically underrepresented in clinical research. This guidance provides FDA's recommendations for collecting such data in the postmarketing stage when such adequate representation was not achieved in the premarket clinical trial. FDA seeks Tribal input on the potential implications of the draft guidance on Tribal communities. Comments are due by October 10 via www.regulations.gov/ (FDA-2022-D-2629).

IHS Listening Session on Advance Appropriations Implementation: IHS is soliciting Tribal input on the implementation of advance appropriations for the Indian health system. Advance appropriations were enacted for the first time in the IHS's history by Congress beginning in FY 2024. IHS will be sharing additional information on its implementation plans and strategies for advance appropriations, and it will be preparing materials such as a Frequently Asked Questions document to share. The first virtual listening session was held in August, and the second listening will be held next Wednesday, September 6. Information on how to register for and attend the session is available in this Dear Tribal Leader Letter.

Interdepartmental Tribal Consultation on Implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA): HHS and the Departments of Justice and the Interior are consulting Tribes on ICWA and the supports that the Federal government can provide to protect Indian children and families, including at the state court level. Virtual and in-person consultations were conducted in August. The written comment period remains open, and submissions may be sent to consultation@bia.gov through September 15. Please see the attached Dear Tribal Leader Letter for more details. 

Departmental Updates

Biden-Harris Administration Announces First Drugs Subject to Medicare Price Negotiation: Yesterday, the President released the names of the first 10 prescription drugs whose prices will be negotiated under Medicare Part D pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In the HHS press release , Secretary Xavier Becerra stated, "For far too long, pharmaceutical companies have made record profits while American families were saddled with record prices and unable to afford life-saving prescription drugs. But thanks to the landmark [IRA], we are closer to reaching President Biden's goal of increasing availability and lowering prescription drug costs for all Americans." The selected drugs are used to treat heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and other conditions. Together they account for 20% ($50.5 billion) of total Part D gross covered prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023.

President Biden Declares a National Observance on Overdose Awareness: President Biden proclaimed the week of August 27 through September 2 as National Overdose Awareness Week. In so doing, he "reaffirm[ed] our commitment to beating this public health and public safety epidemic – in memory of all those we have lost and to protect all the lives we can still save." To advance this effort, the President called upon "citizens, government agencies, civil society organizations, health care providers, and research institutions to raise awareness of substance use disorder so that our Nation can combat stigmatization, promote treatment, celebrate recovery, and strengthen our collective efforts to prevent overdose deaths." The proclamation also builds on the  International Overdose Awareness Day, the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose held on August 31.

HHS Launches Heat-Related Illness EMS Activation Surveillance (EMS HeatTracker) Dashboard: The new tool is intended to help decision-making around heat events. The Dashboard provides state- and county-level comparisons to national averages in three categories of data involving emergency medical services, as well as on heat-related activations and fatalities. It was developed in collaboration with the Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the National Emergency Medical Services Information System. The tool was launched in conjunction with an interview with President Biden conducted by the Weather Channel on the Federal response to the recent extreme heat waves across the country.

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Approves RSV Vaccine for Infants: ACIP recently approved the administration of nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, to infants aged younger than 8 months who are born during or entering their first RSV season, and for children aged 8-19 months who are at increased risk of sever RSV entering their second season. The sickness is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants in the United States, with the majority of infections occurring during the first year of life.

Administration for Native Americans (ANA) Announces New Language Awards for 2023: Over $2.6 million will be invested in Native language programs under the ANA's Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance and Esther Martinez Immersion programs. In the press release on the awards, ANA Commissioner Patrice Kunesh praised the programs, noting that "[b]oosting the vitality of Native language programs is critical to preserving culture and sovereignty." The ten awardees are also highlighted in the press release.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Webinar on Influenza Prevention and Treatment in Children: CDC's Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity will provide information for pediatric providers related to the upcoming flu season and immunization recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The session will take place on August 31 from 2:00 – 3:00pm ET via Zoom ( https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1600020619). The webinar will serve as a Free Continuing Education opportunity and all materials will be available after the session on the CDC's website.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Telehealth Conference: Navigating the latest in telehealth? Join healthcare professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders nationwide at the National Telehealth Conference on September 12 for insights on balancing telehealth solutions and vital in-person services. Register to learn how others are integrating telehealth into their practice and working to give patients a choice in how they receive their care. The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth also has a listserv for regular updates in HRSA's work in this area, which can be signed up for HERE . 
 

Funding Announcements

Forecast – IHS Loan Repayment Program: IHS is raising awareness for the opening of its FY 2024 Loan Repayment Program (LRP) cycle. The program awards up to $50,000 and tax benefits to a plethora of healthcare specialties in exchange for a 2-year, full-time service obligation. The application cycle will open on October 1 and submissions will be evaluated monthly beginning in January 2024. Further information is available in this Dear Tribal Leader Letter, as well as on the program's website.

IHS FY 2022 and FY 2023 Small Ambulatory Program: Applications are now being accepted for awards of up to $3.5 million for eligible ambulatory healthcare facilities. Only federally recognized Tribes that operate non-IHS outpatient facilities under P.L. 93-638 contracts are eligible to apply for this program. Projects may include facility construction, expansion, and modernization components. IHS has prepared a fillable PDF application kit to facilitate the process, and it will conduct an application training on October 5 at 2:00pm ET (no registration required, the day-of Zoom link is embedded HERE). Applications are due November 10.

HRSA Maternal and Child Health Funding Opportunity: The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) State/Territory Program aims to enhance EHDI system infrastructure to improve language acquisition for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children up to age 3. Funding will support EHDI services systems so that DHH newborns, infants, and young children receive appropriate and timely services, including hearing screening, diagnosis, and early intervention. Tribes and Tribal organizations are eligible to apply. The application deadline is November 6.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research to Improve Native American Health: NIH is awarding grants of $200,000 to support health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, and other services research to improve the health of Tribal populations. Research projects can include the development of pilot interventions, strategies, scale-up or sustainability studies, and more. Applications are due September 7. Eligibility and application information is detailed in the Notice of Grant Opportunity.

Other Events and Resources

Department of Justice (DOJ) Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation: The DOJ is hosting its 18^th Annual Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation. The consultation provides a forum to solicit recommendations from Tribal leaders on the administration of funds and programs; enhancing the safety of Native women; strengthening the Federal response to violent crimes against women; and improving access to criminal justice information systems. Written testimony is requested by September 11. A Testimony Toolkit and framing paper for discussion are available on the consultation's website.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Grants for Projects Related to the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative: NEH is offering special grants of up to $30,000 for diverse projects related to the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative , a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of Federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing intergenerational impacts and shed light on trauma. Projects can include research, public programming, culture and language revitalization, repatriation, oral history and traditional knowledge sharing, digital content, and more. The rolling deadline closes on December 1. Additional eligibility and application information is available HERE.

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Grants for Native American Museum Services: IMLS serves to support museums, libraries, and related organizations nationwide through grantmaking, research, and policy development. The agency is currently accepting applications for its Native American Museum Services to fund exhibition, program, workforce development, organizational capacity building, and collections stewardship projects. The Notice of Funding Opportunity states that three-year grants of up to $250,000 with no cost-share requirement will be awarded. Applications are due November 15. Please contact Sarah Glass (sglass@imls.gov) with any questions.