HHS

September 29, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today voted for two amendments that would have created a public insurance option in the health insurance reform legislation being written by Senate Finance Committee. Neither amendment passed.

"If we're going to drive down health care costs for the long term, we need to have adequate competition in the marketplace. I strongly believe we should create a non-profit entity to compete with insurance companies to offer the best care at the lowest cost," Bingaman said. "While neither public option amendment considered today was approved, we still have an opportunity to write a bill that encourages healthy competition."    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- James S. Brady Press Briefing Room -- MR. GIBBS: Good morning. Oh, Mr. McCormick, a special appearance. Wow.

We're doing this a little early today so you all can watch the President's events or travel, as you maybe needed to do.

Before we take our regularly scheduled questions, we'll hear from Secretary Sebelius, who will talk to you all about some demonstration projects and grants and a program that the President, as you know, during the recent joint session of Congress, asked her to look into regarding medical malpractice.

So I will turn it over to the Secretary.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- Creating ways for healthful lifestyle habits to be the natural first choice for Americans is the goal of a $650 million initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, decrease obesity, and decrease smoking in U.S. communities.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a funding opportunity for communities and tribes to apply for $373 million in cooperative agreements for the comprehensive public health initiative, Communities Putting Prevention to Work, to be led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius praised progress made by Congress today as the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), HR 3221, passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill would move away from subsidizing private lenders to a direct loan program and reinvest nearly $90 billion in savings over the next 10 years into several initiatives, including the Early Learning Challenge Fund, which will be jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.    » read more »

September 16, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Vermont Governor Jim Douglas and Blueprint for Health Director Craig Jones, M.D., joined Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the White House today for the announcement of a new federal initiative modeled after Vermont’s innovative Blueprint for Health.

The announcement could have positive financial implications for Vermont, as it will enable Medicare to join Medicaid and commercial insurance carriers in state multi-insurer efforts to support primary care medical homes and community health teams.    » read more »

Program based on Perdue’s health care campaign roadmap

9/14/2009 -- Raleigh -- North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue today announced that North Carolina has received a $17 million five-year grant to fund a pilot health program that extends health care coverage to uninsured, low income parents — as proposed in her campaign health care roadmap.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the State Health Access Program (SHAP) grant to only 13 states, including North Carolina. The award will cover more than 1,500 low income, working families in North Carolina.    » read more »

September 1, 2009 -- The health and safety of the American people is the first priority of President Barack Obama. Since the novel 2009-H1N1 flu virus emerged in the United States during the third week of April, the President has received regular briefi'ngs and asked his Cabinet to spare no effort in addressing this national security challenge.    » read more »

New PSA Campaign Unveiled by HHS, DHS, Dept of Ed., and Sesame Workshop

September 1, 2009 -- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Education (ED) and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, have teamed up to launch a new, national public service advertising campaign designed to encourage American children and families to practice healthy habits and to take steps to prevent the spread of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. The PSAs featured in this campaign can be viewed on www.flu.gov.    » read more »

Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare

August 27, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today issued a new report, America’s Seniors and Health Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare. The report highlights the problems with the status quo that leave seniors paying escalating costs for their health care while outlining how health insurance reform will strengthen Medicare and protect coverage for seniors. The report is available at http://www.HealthReform.gov/reports/seniors/index.html.    » read more »

Out-of-pocket expenses for Americans with employer-based coverage rise to more than $3,700 per year

June 23, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new report -- Hidden Costs of Health Care: Why Americans are Paying More but Getting Less. The report documents the rising cost of deductibles, co-payments and out-of-pocket expenses that are making it more difficult for families with insurance to receive the health care they need, and is available at www.HealthReform.gov.    » read more »

HHS announces advanced development contract for new way to make flu vaccine

June 23, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the department will pursue advanced development of new way to make influenza vaccine. The work will be done by Protein Sciences Corporation, Inc., of Meriden, Conn., under a new $35 million contract. The contract could be extended up to five years at a total cost of approximately $147 million.

“The technology has advanced in recent years to a point that we believe it could help meet a surge in demand for U.S.-based vaccine for seasonal and pandemic flu,” Secretary Sebelius said. “We want to use the technology to help our nation respond to emerging infectious diseases.”    » read more »

June 22, 2009 -- HHS joins President Obama in commemorating a significant anniversary in the civil rights movement for persons with disabilities. Ten years ago today, the United States Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. recognizing that “unjustified institutional isolation of persons with disabilities is a form of discrimination” under the Americans with Disabilities Act.    » read more »

Secretary Donovan Elected New Chair of the Council; HUD and VA announce $75 million for HUD-VASH program to provide rental housing and support for homeless veterans

June 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) met today for the first time under the Obama Administration. U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki chaired the meeting, at which U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan was elected rotating Chair for the upcoming year and U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was elected Vice Chair. U.

S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, attended the meeting.    » read more »

June 19, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that $6 billion in new federal funds will be made available to states and U.S. territories for fiscal year 2009 to provide health care to millions of children across America through their Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP).

The new funds for CHIP were made available by the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 4. CHIPRA provides additional funding that will help states and territories maintain existing CHIP enrollment and expand their programs.    » read more »

Department of Health and Human Services Teams Up with the White House and the Ad Council to Launch New Fatherhood Public Service Campaign; PSA Features President Obama Encouraging Fathers to “Take time to be a dad today”

June 19, 2009 -- Just in time for Father’s Day weekend, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced a new public service campaign today promoting fatherhood that features a PSA by President Obama.

The campaign, sponsored by the department’s Administration for Children and Families and the Advertising Council, can be found at www.fatherhood.gov. The public service announcements and supporting campaign materials highlight the critical role fathers play in their children’s lives.    » read more »