Volume 15, March 16, 2012
The Policy Watch provides timely updates and resources on Hill and Administration activities impacting HIV and viral hepatitis programs. Please go to NASTAD's website at www.NASTAD.org for more information.
Congress
FY2013 Budget Resolutions
The House and Senate are currently working on developing budget resolutions for FY2013. The budget resolutions serve as a spending blueprint for all government expenditures, including appropriations. The Budget Control Act set the FY2013 budget level at $1.047 trillion. Despite this level being signed into law, House Republicans are debating lowering the FY2013 spending cap below this level. These additional cuts would impact appropriations as there would be less money for the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations bill which supports HIV and viral hepatitis programs. NASTAD will provide updates as they become available.
FY2013 Appropriations
Representatives Mike Honda (D-CA), Hank Johnson (D-GA) and Judy Chu (D-CA) are circulating a "Dear Colleague" urging Members of Congress to sign on to their letter asking the House Appropriations Committee to support increased funding for the Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The letter reiterates Congress' need to scale-up the viral hepatitis epidemic response in light of rising mortality rates attributable to viral hepatitis in the U.S. over the last decade. According to the letter, "[now] is not the time to be flat-funding this program."
Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D - NJ) is circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter asking for increases in funding for domestic HIV/AIDS programs. The letter emphasizes the need for investments in CDC's HIV prevention program and Ryan White programs.
Additionally, NASTAD has signed on to letters supporting increased funding for domestic programs. The Sexuality Education Coalition letter requests increases for the CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health, including the restoration of funding cut in FY2012, and other sexuality education programs.
Medicaid Block
Grant House Republicans are expected to include a measure to cut and block grant the Medicaid program in their budget proposal. If successful, this effort would dismantle the current federal funding formula for Medicaid allocations and provide a set amount of resources to states, which may be less than they receive now. This proposal was included in the House FY2012 Budget , but was rejected by the Senate. NASTAD, along with the HIV Health Care Access Work Group, is watching this issue closely.
Congressional Inquiry on the 340B Program
Four Members of Congress have sent letters to several organizations including the Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical Access (SNHPA), which convenes the 340B Coalition, requesting information provided to their membership on specific aspects of the 340B program such as patient definition, contract pharmacies and additional documentation of SNHPA's interaction with their membership. The press release and the letters can be found on Senator Chuck Grassley's (R-IA) website. The 340B program is routinely under Congressional scrutiny, especially after a June Office of Inspector General report found that the program lacked adequate oversight. During the debate on health reform, Republicans advocated terminating the 340B program. NASTAD will continue to monitor Congressional actions related to this vital program.
CDC Hepatitis C Testing Guidelines
Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) and a bipartisan group of 25 Members of Congress sent a letter to CDC urging the timely release of new testing guidelines for hepatitis C (HCV). The proposed age-based screening guidelines will identify many more Americans with HCV and enable them to access care and treatment, thereby reducing deaths and health care costs associated with the virus.
Administration
Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP)
On March 14, the White House named Dr. Grant Colfax as the new director of ONAP. Dr. Colfax currently serves as Director of the HIV Prevention Section in the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
White House LGBT Conference on Housing & Homelessness
On Friday, March 9, 2012, the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) held a conference at Wayne State University in Detroit to discuss housing and homelessness issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans. The conference drew approximately 125 people, and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan gave the keynote address reaffirming the Obama administration's commitment to addressing issues with relevance to the LGBT community. Raphael Bostic, Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at HUD, facilitated a workshop on engaging transgender people, LGBT elders and people living with HIV/AIDS. The session focused on keeping homelessness "on the radar screen" among LGBT advocates as attention moves towards implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).
2012 White House Policy Briefing for Black LGBT Emerging Leaders
On Friday, February 24, 2012, the White House, in collaboration with the National Black Justice Coalition and the Human Rights Campaign, held a policy briefing for Black LGBT emerging leaders. The 150 participants heard from prominent national Black leaders ranging in topics from safe schools/bullying prevention, HIV/AIDS, faith outreach, and youth entrepreneurship. The HIV/AIDS session, led by Gregorio Millett from the CDC, provided an opportunity for community members to ask questions concerning the shifting landscape of HIV prevention at the federal level and what this means for Black LGBT young people. There was a focus on financial resources and how organizations receiving funding for the population can be held accountable for effective outreach and engagement among Black LGBT communities.
Federal Partners Update
HHS Southern Initiative
HHS is poised to release a demonstration project (using the Secretary's Minority AIDS Initiative funds) to target a set of jurisdictions outside of the 12 cities project. The three year program will focus on reducing health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the south, with a particular focus on mortality rates. CDC will disseminate the $14.5 million per year for three years to health departments with a required 25 percent or more of funding to be passed to Community Based Organizations (CBOs). An FOA is in the works and NASTAD will provide more information as it becomes available.
Indicators Update
A memo from HHS Secretary Sebelius directing the heads of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), CDC, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Office of Minority Health (OMH) and Office on Women's Health (OWH) to adopt a common set of indicators across HHS and streamline the number of grantee data requirements is currently in clearance at HHS. Agencies would have 90 days to finalize standard core metrics. In the subsequent 90 days, HHS would work to develop a plan to operationalize those core indicators and have them fully implemented by the beginning of FY2014. The plan also calls for a 20-25 percent reduction of indicators required for grantees. Andrew Forsyth of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy presented on this plan at the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) meeting on February 29, 2012.
Prevention FOA- Category C
The CDC awarded Category C (demonstration projects) as part of the new health department cooperative agreement, PS 12-1201Comprehensive HIV Prevention Programs for Health Department. Forty nine jurisdictions submitted 71 proposals with 30 jurisdictions receiving funding for a total of $20 million (taken from Category A). Four jurisdictions were awarded between $1 and $2 million; 8 jurisdictions were awarded between $500,000 and $1 million; and 18 jurisdictions were awarded less than $500,000.
NASTAD recently completed a funding memo and analysis of the Category A, core prevention services and Category B, expanded testing awards for PS12-1201.
HHS Viral Hepatitis Testing Consultation
The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) held a consultation on viral hepatitis testing on February 23, 2012 at the Hall of the States. The day-long consultation featured a broad variety of discussions, including challenges to testing, state and local approaches, targeting specific populations as well as discussions with HHS agencies (e.g., SAMHSA) and other key stakeholders (e.g., the Veterans Administration and Departments of Corrections). The consultation was widely attended by federal, non-governmental, advocacy and industry partners, as well as Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinators (AVHPCs) and other state health department staff. A meeting summary will be sent out upon availability.
Noteworthy
HAP/NVHR 2012 Viral Hepatitis Policy Summit
The Hepatitis Appropriations Partnership (HAP), which NASTAD convenes, partnered with the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) for the second year in a row to hold the 2012 Viral Hepatitis Policy Summit. This year's meeting, which is an expansion of the HAP annual face-to-face meeting held in previous years, featured conversations with federal partners from the HHS, CDC, SAMHSA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)as well as viral hepatitis Congressional champions. The purpose of the summit was to continue Congressional advocacy while ramping up policy efforts with the Administration.
National Day of Action for Syringe Exchange
With the return of the federal funding ban on Syringe Exchange Programs (SEPs), the Harm Reduction Coalition and their allies are organizing a National Day of Action for Syringe Exchange on March 21, 2012. The day of action will include meetings with Members of Congress, media events to highlight policy and public health issues and a National Call-in Day to highlight opposition to the ban.
Healthcare Reform Monitoring Report
NASTAD partner, Harvard Law School's Treatment Access Expansion Project (TAEP), developed a Healthcare Reform Monitoring Report, which focuses on aspects of Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation. This can serve as a resource for health department planning for ACA implementation.
Sign-on Letters
NASTAD recently signed on to a letter to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) regarding testing reimbursements.
NASTAD recently signed on to a letter to President Obama in regards to elevating the global and national response to the HIV pandemic by prioritizing the human rights of all persons at risk of and living with HIV.
Legislation of Interest Grid
Here is an updated legislation of interest grid for the most recent HIV, STD and viral hepatitis legislation that we are tracking.
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors 444 North Capitol Street, NW • Suite 339 • Washington D.C. 20001 • ph: (202) 434-8090 www.NASTAD.org • em: nastad@nastad.org
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