Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tribal Health Chap topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears bill to make Community Health Aid Program permanent; federal approval still pending
Summary
Senate Bill 170 would remove the sunset on Montana’s Community Health Aid Program (CHAP). Proponents told the committee CHAP supports tribal ‘‘grow your own’’ workforce development, but DPHHS said a state plan amendment cannot be submitted until a national certification board completes its work.
Senator Jonathan Windiboy, sponsor of Senate Bill 170, asked the House Health and Human Services Committee to eliminate the termination date for the Community Health Aid Program (CHAP), telling members the program should be permanently authorized so tribal nations can continue building a local health workforce. “I bring before you, Senate Bill 170. It's an act eliminating a termination date of the Community Health Aid Program,” Windiboy said.
Nut graf: Supporters — including tribal representatives, tribal health centers and behavioral-health advocates — described CHAP as a proven ‘‘grow your own’’ model that trains community health aides, behavioral health aides and dental health therapists from tribal communities, and noted tribal health programs receive federal reimbursement for CHAP services.
Proponents described local workforce and access benefits. Alyssa Snow, speaking for several tribes, said CHAP “helps address this by providing authority for mid level…community, and dental health professionals, like community health aids, to work under the supervision of licensed professionals,” and called the program “a successful Grow Your Own program.” Keaton Sunchild of Western Native Voice said permanently authorizing CHAP affirms tribal self-determination and creates career pathways for Native people to serve their communities.
Several hospitals and behavioral-health organizations also supported the bill. Shodair Children’s Hospital and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Montana testified in favor, and Rockwood Health Center CEO Joel Rosette described CHAP as a way to recruit providers to remote communities and noted the program is reimbursed at 100% federal FMAP for tribal health programs.
DPHHS staff told the committee the department has not submitted federal approval (a state plan amendment) for CHAP because a required national certification board has not completed its work. “The department has not submitted federal authority approval yet for this particular service…that national board has not completed their work,” Mary Lemieux, Division Administrator for Health Resources at DPHHS, told the committee. She said the department cannot submit a state plan amendment to CMS until that national board finishes its work and the certification/licensure standards are in place.
Senator Windiboy closed by urging the committee to advance the bill so Montana can continue developing CHAP programs rather than waiting on federal action. “If we wait for the feds, we'll be waiting till kingdom come,” he said.
Ending: The committee closed the hearing on SB 170; no opponents testified and no committee vote on the bill was recorded in the transcript.
