Washington, DC - Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today applauded the expansion of the Family 2 Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs) to serve Indian tribes, which was included in the budget agreement passed by Congress last week.
Pallone initially won inclusion of this provision in October when the public health extender package was marked up in the Energy and Commerce Committee. Since then, he continued to fight to ensure it was passed into law. With the $12 million provided to F2F HICs in the budget agreement, existing centers will be able to help more families and new centers will be created to serve families in tribal communities and the U.S. territories.
Today, F2F HICs are state-wide organizations that provide information, education, training, outreach and peer support to families of children and youth with special health care needs and the professionals who serve them. They are staffed by people who have firsthand experience navigating the health care system and are in a unique position to help families and children receive the best health care services and support available. Since the Centers were created in 2005, they have served hundreds of thousands of families nationwide in every state and DC.
“Family 2 Family Health Information Centers have been a valuable resource in helping parents of children with special health care needs navigate an especially complex health care system," said Pallone. “Native American families that must navigate services through the Indian Health Service, Medicaid or other health care providers will now have access to the valuable services these family-staffed centers provide. This is an important step in making the health care system more effective for Native American children with complex health needs and their families."
