Notes

2013 National Native American Heritage Month
A statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Each November, we recognize National Native American Heritage Month – celebrating the diverse histories and cultures of American Indian and Alaska Native people. This year’s theme, “Guiding Our Destiny with Heritage and Traditions: Leading the Way to Healthier Nations,” speaks to the vital role that cultural heritage plays in strengthening families and communities.

In July, I had the opportunity to visit the Navajo Nation in Arizona and meet with key leaders to discuss the health concerns of the Navajo. I attended a Special Session of the Navajo Nation Council and heard from the delegates about health issues such as diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. I also visited the Indian Health Service (IHS) Gallup Indian Medical Center, which was recently designated as a Level III Trauma Center, the first in the Indian health system. IHS work at this center, and throughout Indian Country, saves countless lives every year.

Secretary Sebelius with Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly and Vice President Rex Lee JimOur Administration is committed to ensuring the health and well-being of all Americans, which is why we are working with our tribal partners to reduce the health disparities that have historically burdened American Indians and Alaska Natives.

In order to address these issues, we need to make sure that American Indians and Alaska Natives have access to affordable coverage so they can get the care they need.

The Affordable Care Act is critical to that effort, partly by permanently reauthorizing the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, ensuring that IHS is here to stay.

Additionally, the new Health Insurance Marketplace made possible by the Affordable Care Act will make more affordable, quality options for health coverage available to uninsured Americans, including First Americans. IHS has trained staff to help its American Indian and Alaska Native patients enroll in Medicaid or purchase affordable insurance that they can use to continue to receive care at IHS facilities. If more IHS patients have health coverage, additional resources from reimbursements at the local facilities will help expand services for all patients served by IHS.

Health care is just one area in which we are working to increase support for Indian Country.

The Administration for Native Americans recently invested in new and continuing tribal programs to preserve Native American languages. We believe that language revitalization and continuation are important steps in preserving and strengthening a community’s culture.

We are also investing in Head Start and child care programs, innovative substance abuse and mental health initiatives, suicide prevention efforts, job training, economic development campaigns, and programs for seniors.











Statement from HHS Secretary Sebelius on resolution of criminal and civil investigations of Johnson & Johnson
Multiple investigations found Johnson & Johnson (J&J) put profit ahead of the health and safety of children, the elderly and people with developmental disabilities. The $2.2 billion resolution announced earlier today by Attorney General Eric Holder is another example of our commitment at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to protect health and aggressively combat health care fraud.

In this case the Food and Drug Administration’s mission to ensure drugs are safe and effective for intended use was thwarted and false claims were submitted to federal health care programs including Medicare and Medicaid. When tax payers are being ripped off and health and safety are jeopardized we will take forceful action.

To crack down on the people and organizations that abuse the system and prey on vulnerable populations HHS and Department of Justice created the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) in May 2009. Today’s announcement is one of the many HEAT accomplishments over the past several years.

Stopping fraud requires cooperation from everybody—the federal government, state governments, health care providers, insurers, law enforcement, and citizens.







National Epilepsy Awareness Month
A statement by Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Howard Koh

November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month. Epilepsy, which affects roughly 2.3 million Americans, is a common, yet poorly understood, neurological disorder. The condition, which is in fact a complicated spectrum of disorders, can have a devastating effect on individuals as well as their families. We at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are committed to boosting public awareness and enhancing the lives of those with epilepsy, as well as their loved ones.

Last year, a group of 24 federal agencies and nonprofit organizations commissioned the Institute of Medicine to create the first national public health strategy for addressing epilepsy through research and action. The subsequent IOM report website exit disclaimer recommended, among other things, earlier identification and treatment of epilepsy, new measures to assess quality of care, and improved knowledge and skills for those providing health care.

Today, I am happy to report that a number of HHS agencies have already begun critical work to implement the report’s recommendations. We are strengthening surveillance programs to produce better data for tracking the condition; developing self-management programs to help those with epilepsy better manage their health; implementing telehealth networks so that more people have access to epilepsy specialists, and advancing cutting-edge research in poorly understood areas such as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

We are also expanding opportunities to ensure that more people with epilepsy have access to quality health care. As of January 2014, not only will millions more Americans begin to enjoy stronger health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, but insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to those with epilepsy and other pre-existing conditions.

We are grateful for the extensive public and private partnership that has been forged to commission and implement the IOM report recommendations and more forcefully address the impact of this potentially devastating condition. We look forward to continued collaborations to better diagnose, treat, and, ultimately, cure epilepsy.