Policy Updates: Hill Happenings and Administration Activities
Hill Happenings
FY2025 Appropriations
Lawmakers are working on legislation to advance a stopgap funding measure to avoid a government shutdown on December 20. On September 26, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) (H.R.9747) that temporarily extended Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024) funding levels through December 20 to buy appropriators more time to advance a Fiscal Year 2025 (FY2025) spending package. Lawmakers disagree on the duration of the new CR, with some Republicans aiming to leverage their new Congressional majority to advance a partisan FY2025 spending package while others call on the Caucus to resolve FY2025 funding quickly to free up capacity to advance the incoming Trump Administration’s agenda in 2025.
NASTAD will continue to monitor the congressional appropriations process and advocate for the highest possible funding for HIV, hepatitis, and drug user health programs.
Congress Introduces Bicameral Legislation to Restore Public Health Funding
On November 15, Representative Matsui (D-CA-07) and Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Public Health Funding Restoration Act, which would restore funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). The Public Health Funding Restoration Act would authorize and appropriate $2 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 and each subsequent fiscal year to fully restore the PPHF, which is currently funded at $1.3 billion. The PPHF provides dedicated funding for innovative public health projects, including vaccination programs, chronic disease prevention programs, and health education programs.
NASTAD Calls on Congress to Save HIV Funding
On December 4, NASTAD joined a coalition of over 115 organizations and called on Congress to prevent over $700 million in HIV funding cuts. The #SaveHIVfunding campaign urges lawmakers to reject a proposal from the House of Representatives that would slash funding for HIV programs, including eliminating funds specifically designated for the bipartisan Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. The House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Subcommittee advanced the proposal in the summer of 2024, but the spending bill did not pass the House floor.
Administration Activities
Presidential Transition
President-elect Donald Trump has announced a series of nominations for the incoming Trump-Vance Administration’s cabinet, including key health positions. Notably, on November 14, Trump announced his nomination of Robert F. Kennedy JR (RFK) to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). On November 26, Trump nominated Jim O’Neill as the HHS Deputy Secretary. Additionally, Trump announced nominations for the HHS operating divisions, including Mehmet Oz for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), former US Representative Dave Weldon (R-FL-15) for the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Marty Makary for the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Jay Bhattacharya for the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Many of the nominees have criticized the agencies they would be responsible over and have promised an overhaul of health programming and operations if confirmed by the Senate.
Biden Administration Observes World AIDS Day
On December 1, the Biden Administration observed the 37th World AIDS Day, a yearly observance to remember and honor the more than 32 million people who have died worldwide from AIDS-related illness and renew the nation’s commitment to ending the HIV epidemic. The theme for 2024 is "Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress." President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation and a fact sheet highlighting progress made to fight the HIV epidemic and recommits the country to fighting stigma and honor those who lost their lives to HIV. Click here to read a Dear Colleague Letter from leaders of the CDC National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention and Division of HIV Prevention on the importance of World AIDS Day.
CDC Updates Recommendations for Hepatitis B Vaccination
On December 5, CDC published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that updates the universal hepatitis B (HBV) vaccination recommendation in adults aged 19-59 years. The update expands indications for use of the Heplisav-B vaccine to include pregnant persons. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the update on September 11, 2024, after human data showed that administration of the Heplisav-B vaccine does not suggest an increased risk for both major birth defects and miscarriage.
CDC Proposes Updates to Recommendations for HIV Screening in Clinical Settings
On December 3, CDC published a notice requesting comment on the draft Recommendations for HIV Screening in Clinical Settings, which updates portions of the 2006 Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings. These recommendations modify the ages for HIV screening including eliminating an upper age limit, encourage providers to use clinical decision support tools such as automated HIV test laboratory orders to implement HIV screening, provide considerations for healthcare populations on which to conduct HIV screening, recommend anyone who requests a test should be tested, and emphasize the use of a general consent process as used for other routine tests. Comments are due by January 2, 2025.
CDC Updates Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents With HIV
On November 20, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released updated Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents With HIV. The updates include new information on COVID-19 and influenza immunizations, new recommendations for the use of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines, updates HepBCpG (Heplisav-B) as the preferred hepatitis B vaccine for people with HIV, and added pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenABCWY) recommendations as an alternative to separate administration of quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine and meningococcal group B vaccine.
HRSA Announced $52 million to Support Primary Care for People Soon to be Released from Incarceration
On November 22, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced nearly $52 million in awards for 54 HRSA-funded health centers to increase access to high-quality primary care for people soon to be released from incarceration and reentering the community. This policy supports health centers to better meet the needs of their entire community and describes how health centers can provide health services to incarcerated individuals who are expected to be or are scheduled for release from a carceral setting within 90 days to help ensure continuity of care. The awards will support management of chronic conditions, reducing the risk of drug overdose, addressing mental health and substance use disorder treatment needs, and preventing, screening, diagnosing, and treating infectious diseases.
HUD Announces New HOPWA Director
On December 4, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that Amy Griffin will serve as the new Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Housing (OHH), which administers the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program. Prior to joining HUD, Griffin worked in the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau helping to implement HRSA’s Ending the Epidemic (EHE) program and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program (RWHAP). She also worked as a housing technical assistance (TA) provider serving HOPWA recipients and as a TA provider serving publicly-funded HIV care and treatment agencies.
Resources
DC HIV Treatment: DC Health Link Makes Care for People Living with HIV Free
“On Tuesday, November 19, the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority
(DCHBX) Executive Board voted unanimously to make the treatment and long-term
management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) free for DC residents and employees of DC employers enrolled in DC Health Link’s Essential Plans.”
GU O’Neill Institute: Expanding Access to Patient Navigation Services is Critical
“Patient navigation has been proven to improve engagement in care and retention, improve health outcomes, and be cost effective, and the evidence base for patient navigation in HIV care is growing. Patient navigation is a term for a range of services offered by various types of health care workers to facilitate consistent, effective engagement with services and can be critical to a variety of care settings where HIV diagnosis can occur, including in CBOs, sexual health clinics, syringe service programs (SSPs), and emergency departments.”
GU O’Neill Institute: Harm reduction and its role in improving health outcomes in an era of fentanyl
“Harm reduction services offer a critical intervention point for individuals who may have no other access to receive support or services in a non-judgmental, non-stigmatizing environment. The human—and humane—connections fostered through these programs are often less visible than the services themselves, but they are equally important.”
Job Postings
Director of the Ryan White Office of Support—Harris County, TX
The Director serves as the liaison between the County Judge and the Houston EMA Ryan White Planning Council (RWPC), providing support to the Council and direct supervision to its staff as they fulfill their legislatively mandated responsibilities within the Ryan White Part A Program. The Director also works closely with Harris County Public Health/Ryan White Grant Administration (the Grant Administrator), other elected and appointed officials, service providers, community leaders, Persons Living with HIV (PLWH), and others within the six-county service area. Apply by January 17, 2025.
Senior Policy Advisor, Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and STI – Queens, New York
The NYC Health Department’s Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (BHHS) Policy and External Affairs Program seeks a Senior Policy Advisor to lead its health systems policy efforts and support its HIV, STI, and viral hepatitis policy advocacy more broadly. The Senior Policy Advisor will report to the Director of Policy and External Affairs and oversee BHHS’s health systems policy efforts, including monitoring, researching, and responding to Medicaid, Medicare, 340B program, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, New York State of Health Marketplace, New York City HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA), patient assistance programs, and commercial health insurance activity relevant to New Yorkers affected by HIV, STIs, and viral hepatitis.
Communicable Disease Epidemiologist – Cheyenne, Wyoming
This position will serve as the Communicable Disease AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Coordinator, Wyoming TB Controller, and Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) for the Communicable Disease (CD) Treatment Program. Assist in outbreak response to ensure the safety of Wyoming residents; by interviewing cases for exposure information, updating news outlets on the progress of outbreak control, analyzing exposure data utilizing epidemiological and statistical methods.
News Bulletin
Millions will lose health coverage if ACA subsidies expire: CBO
“A new report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that if the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) extended subsidies are allowed to expire at the end of 2025, millions of people will become uninsured and premiums will rise. Responding to the Senate Finance Committee, the CBO found that ‘not extending the credit will increase the number of people without health insurance and raise the average gross benchmark premiums for plans purchased through the marketplaces.’”
Kennedy’s ‘MAHA transition team’ includes anti-vax activists
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is enlisting associates with close ties to anti-vaccine organizations to help vet and interview candidates for senior roles at the Department of Health and Human Services, even as he publicly seeks to distance himself from the movement he once led. At least three informal advisers connected to the anti-vaccine movement are assisting Kennedy in filling out his staff as he prepares to lead HHS, according to five people familiar with the matter and documents obtained by POLITICO — highlighting Kennedy’s continuing close association with the movement and its potential influence within the nation’s leading health agency if he’s confirmed as secretary.”
How the Supreme Court’s transgender care case could reverberate across health care
“The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday on Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth — a case that has major implications not just for trans people of all ages, but for how states are able to regulate health care more broadly.”