Health Reform

Staff Contacts

HHS Announces $250 Million for Prevention and Public Health

On June 16, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius announced allocation of $250 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to primary care workforce development. Further information is available here.

On June 18, the Secretary announced allocation of the balance of the Fund.

• Community and Clinical Prevention:  $126 million will support federal, state and community prevention initiatives; the integration of primary care services into publicly funded community-based behavioral health settings; obesity prevention and fitness; and tobacco cessation.
  
  
• Public Health Infrastructure: $70 million will support state, local, and tribal public health infrastructure and build state and local capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. 
  
  The five-year “Strengthening Public Health Infrastructure for Improved Health Outcomes” cooperative agreement program is designed to support innovative changes in key areas that improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of the public health infrastructure that will support the delivery of public health services and programs as specified within the ACA. The program goal is to systematically increase the performance management capacity of public health departments in order to ensure that public health goals are effectively and efficiently met.

  In FY 2010 $42.5 million will be awarded in cooperative agreements. Eligible applicants include all 50 states, Washington, DC, nine large local health departments supporting cities with populations of one million or more inhabitants (Chicago, Dallas, Houston,  Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix,  San Antonio, San Diego), five U.S. territories, three U.S. affiliated Pacific islands, and up to seven federally-recognized tribes with an established public health department structure that provide public health services to their tribal members. In total, $212.5 million will be available over five years.

   Grant applications are due Aug. 9, 2010. More information and details about how to apply can be found here.

• Research and Tracking: $31 million for data collection and analysis; to strengthen CDC's Community Guide by supporting the Task Force on Community Preventive Services; and to improve transparency and public involvement in the Clinical Preventive Services Task Force.
  
  
• Public Health Training: $23 million to expand CDC's public health workforce programs and public health training centers.

The comment period is open on a proposed rule on implementation of new Medicare preventive health benefits. More information can be found here. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are accepting comments until Aug. 24 with a final rule expected on or about Nov. 1.

Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Coverage of Preventive Services—Comments due Sept. 17

The Food and Drug Administration is seeking comments on the new federal menu labeling requirements under PPACA/ACA. To submit comments, click here, then click on “submit a comment” and enter FDA-2010-N-0298 in the keyword space. The docket will be open until Sept. 7.

All of the details on the rule and the full range of details on methods of submitting comments can be found here.

NACCHO Webinar on Health Reform

• PowerPoint slides 
  Audio recording
  Questions and Answers
  
  
• NACCHO summary of key public health provisions
  
  
• NACCHO Press Release: NACCHO Celebrates Prevention and Wellness in Health Reform
  
  
• First Report of National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council
  

• Comments to the Internal Revenue Service on Community Health Needs Assessment Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 501(r)(3) (7/22/10)

• Letter recommending Herminia Palacio, MD, MPH to the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health (7/1/10)
  
  
• Joint letter recommending Claude Earl Fox, MD, MPH to the National Health Care Workforce Commission (6/25/10)
  
  
• NACCHO Recommendations for Allocation of the Prevention and Public Health Fund, FY10-11 (5/17/10)
  
  
• NACCHO letter to the White House on the federal Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health (5/10/10)
  
  
• Coalition letter to Secretary Sebelius on the allocation of the Prevention and Public Health Fund (4/20/10)
  
  
• NACCHO Fact Sheet: Public Agency Community Health Centers: An Opportunity for Local Health Departments
  
  
• HRSA Releases Information on State Grants for Home Visiting Programs
  
  
• Senate Democratic Policy Committee Summary Promoting Prevention and Improving Public Health
  
  
• Health Reform Implementation Timeline (Kaiser Family Foundation)
  
  
• Questions and Answers from the White House on health reform
  
  
• Text of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (passed by the Senate Dec. 24, 2009 and by the House of Representatives March 21, 2010)
  
  
• Reconciliation Bill text (Changes to Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by the House of Representatives March 21, 2010)

• Medicaid/SCHIP (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Insurance Coverage (Kaiser Family Foundation)

White House proposal released in advance of Feb. 25 Health Reform Summit

Summary of Prevention and Public Health provisions in House, Senate Finance and Senate Health Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee bills

Talking Points on Public Health in Health Reform - House | Senate

State-by-State Information on the Status of Healthcare and Benefits of Reform (White House Office of Health Reform)

Top Ten Tips for Attending Town Hall Meetings

Sample Letter to the Editor

Letter from Big City/Metro Health Departments to House | Senate

SACCHO Sign-on Letter to Senators

Flyers supporting Prevention and Public Health Fund: Ensure a Healthier Future | Secure the Foundation of Public Health