Secretary Sebelius' remarks at today's White House Tribal
> Nations Conference
>
> White House Tribal Nations Conference
>
> December 5, 2012
> Washington, DC
>
> Good Morning. The Department of Health and Human Services is proud
> to be partners with you in working to open new doors of opportunity
> across Indian Country.
>
> During a recent visit to Tribal communities in South Dakota, I saw
> some great examples of our work together.
>
> At Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud Sioux Indian reservation,
> I met young people served by a unique children’s mental health
> program that blends Western and traditional Lakota cultural
> approaches to healing.
>
> I met students at the Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge
> Indian reservation where the Administration is supporting a Lakota
> Language Program which teaches the Lakota traditions through a rich
> K-12 curriculum.
>
> And I met community members who had begun to eat healthier and
> increase their physical activity with support from the Special
> Diabetes Program for Indians.
>
> There are rich partnerships like these all across Indian Country.
> And they are giving more First Americans reason to feel hope for
> the future instead of despair.
>
> To be sure, we face incredibly persistent challenges today: high
> unemployment, energy costs, suicide, chronic disease and federal
> resources stretched thin.
>
> But I also know that smart investment has allowed us to make real
> progress. Programs like those I visited in South Dakota were made
> possible by a strong collaboration between tribes and the Obama
> Administration.
>
> They are also part of something bigger happening across Indian
> Country.
>
> When President Obama took office, he recognized that we needed more
> than a series of individual success stories. We needed a
> comprehensive approach. And if you look back over the last 4 years,
> you can begin to see what that has meant for Indian Country.
>
> Four years ago, the Indian Health Service had a budget of $3.8
> billion. Today, it’s 29 percent larger at $4.3 billion.
>
> Four years ago, the Contract Health Service budget was $579
> million. In most places, IHS could fund only life or limb
> referrals. Today, the Contract Health Service budget is $843
> million, a 46 percent increase that has allowed many more patients
> to get the referrals they need.
>
> And it’s not just the budget.
>
> Four years ago, the reauthorization of the Indian Health Care
> Improvement Act was hopelessly stuck in Congress. Today, after more
> than a decade of trying, it has been permanently authorized. The
> Indian Health Service is here to stay. The law also means that
> Tribes can get coverage for their employees through the Federal
> Employees Health Benefits Program. More than 10,000 are already
> enrolled.
>
> And by approving every single Tribal Facility for the National
> Health Service Corps, we’re bringing more providers to communities
> in need. As you know this is a program that says to doctors,
> nurses, and dentists: “If you go practice in an underserved
> community, we’ll give you a scholarship or help pay your loans.”
> Four years ago, because of the complicated certification process,
> fewer than 60 IHS and Tribal facilities were eligible for Corps
> members. Today, there are 587.
>
> I am also proud to say that after close consultation with Tribes,
> the VA and IHS will announce a national agreement tomorrow for the
> VA to reimburse IHS for the direct care it provides veterans. This
> agreement includes the outpatient all-inclusive rate that Tribes
> preferred. Implementation will begin soon at federal sites. This
> agreement will make it easier for tribes to enter their own
> agreements with VA for the health services they provide.
>
> Now at HHS, the well-being of the American Indian and Alaska Native
> people is a priority that extends beyond the Indian Health Service
> to reach every operating division and program office. We recognize
> that giving people the opportunity to thrive requires more than
> just access to quality care. It is also comes from investing in
> whole families and strong communities.
>
> Four years ago, American Indian and Alaska Natives in the foster
> care, and child welfare system had to go through large state
> programs and outside groups. Today, we have created a process for
> tribes to operate their own Title IV-E programs. The Port Gamble
> S’Klallam [ SKLAW-lam] Tribe was the first. And right now we
> continue to process additional agreements with other tribes.
>
> Four years ago, we were seeing a steady decline in the number of
> children in Head Start who spoke a tribal language at home. Today,
> we’re using Head Start’s new performance standards to begin
> integrating tribal language and culture into their classrooms and
> curricula.
>
> Four years ago, tribal nations were largely on their own in the
> ceaseless fight against alcohol and substance abuse. Today, our
> department has a dedicated office working with tribes as they
> develop detailed action plans and coordinate resources from across
> the federal government.
>
> All of this progress is built on a strong foundation of
> consultation. And we’ve made progress here too.
>
> Four years ago, HHS had an outdated consultation policy on its
> books. Today with your guidance it has been updated, and 7 agencies
> within the Department have their own new or updated consultation
> policies. Our new Department-wide policy calls for us to regularly
> evaluate our progress. So we recently sent each of you a letter
> asking for your input. And I look forward to your perspective.
>
> Four years ago, our Department’s leadership was receiving irregular
> updates about its work in Indian Country -- often only when there
> was a crisis to solve. Today, our senior leaders and I meet
> regularly with the Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee or STAC --
> the first cabinet level committee of its kind. And we have charged
> the STAC not only with addressing today’s biggest problems but also
> with making the most of tomorrow’s opportunities.
>
> One of the biggest of those opportunities is our ongoing work to
> implement the Affordable Care Act. We need your help to make sure
> people are taking advantage of the law which includes many
> important benefits for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
>
> It puts in place new rules prohibiting insurers from imposing
> lifetime dollar limits on your benefits. Young adults who would
> otherwise be uninsured, can now stay on their parents insurance
> until they turn 26. And key preventive services like diabetes
> screening and mammograms, now cost nothing out of pocket for most
> people in private plans and elders on Medicare.
>
> In 2014, more of Indian Country’s most vulnerable may be covered by
> Medicaid. States will receive federal funding assistance to extend
> their programs to uninsured adults with incomes below 133 percent
> of the Federal Poverty Level. That’s about $15,000 a year for an
> individual and $31,000 for a family of four.
>
> At the same time, new competitive insurance marketplaces will allow
> hundreds of thousands of American Indians and Alaska Natives to
> purchase quality, affordable health coverage for the first time.
>
> But we need your partnership to educate tribal communities about
> the law’s new benefits and protections -- and to identify everyone
> who is eligible and help them enroll.
>
> And together, we need to hold our partners in the states
> accountable. Last year, I wrote a letter to Governors reiterating
> my full commitment to strong government-to-government relationships
> with Tribes. And I will continue to remind states that they must
> consider Tribes full partners during the design and implementation
> of any programs that use HHS funds.
>
> Looking back, it’s clear that we are in a much better place today
> than we were 4 years ago. But the time is now to look forward.
>
> The journey ahead will not be easy. But it is possible to envision
> an Indian Country 4 years from now where everyone has access to the
> quality care they need to get healthy and stay well; where more
> children have the chance to follow her dreams; and where every
> community can protect its culture and traditions while creating new
> opportunities for work and growth.
>
> We can fulfill that great promise by continuing our work together.
> We have made great progress, but we have much more work to do. And
> this Administration is committed to working hand-in-hand with you
> to improve lives for the better in Indian Country.
No comments:
Post a Comment