Covering Indian Country – June 2022

 

June 2022

 

Spotlight: Marketplace plan enrollment and CDO application open season According to a recently released IHS Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee brief (PDF, 382 KB, 12 pp), enrollment of tribal members in the federally facilitated Marketplace (FFM) increased by 13.5% from 2020 to 2021. That increase reflects the success of outreach and education highlighting the availability of health insurance premium subsidies and cost-sharing protections for tribal members enrolled in Marketplace plans. As the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency approaches, enrollment assisters should remind tribal members who lose their Medicaid or CHIP coverage to visit HealthCare.gov and enroll themselves and non-tribal members of their household in separate Marketplace plans. Enrolling in separate plans enables tribal members to receive the comprehensive cost-sharing protections to which they are entitled. For more details about Marketplace protections and tribal documentation to support Marketplace applications, download Information for American Indians and Alaska Natives Applying for Coverage (PDF, 136 KB, 4 pp). Also, for help explaining why tribal members should sign up for health care coverage, share 10 Important Facts about Indian Health Service and Health Insurance (PDF, 3.5 MB, 8 pp). The Marketplace provides certain protections for members of federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporation shareholders. Does your facility have staff available who are authorized to help individuals navigate the FFM? Applications are now being accepted for the certified application counselor designated organization (CDO) program. Organizations in an FFM state that want to provide certified application counselor (CAC) enrollment assistance to consumers must apply to become a CDO and enter into an agreement with CMS. CDOs are an important part of the assister community. In the FFMs, CDOs oversee CACs who are annually trained and able to help consumers seeking health care coverage options through the Marketplace. In order to apply, an organization must: Operate in an FFM state Not currently have an active CMS-CDO agreement Want to become a CDO for Plan Year 2023 New applicant organizations that are not currently CDOs for Plan Year 2023 are invited to apply during CMS’s Open Season, now through August 31. Don’t know if your organization has an active CMS-CDO agreement with CMS? Contact CACQuestions@cms.hhs.gov. Please include your organization’s name and address in the body of your email.

 

June: Medicaid renewal

 

As COVID-19 becomes less of a threat, states will restart yearly Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility reviews. This means states will use the information they have to decide which family members still qualify for Medicaid or CHIP coverage. If more information is needed from a current enrollee to make a coverage decision, the state will send the enrollee a renewal letter in the mail. Please share the ad about Medicaid renewal (shown above) in your newsletter or on your website. Have questions or need assistance? We can help! Check out our interactive Medicaid or CHIP State Map, which provides current Medicaid or CHIP recipients with a direct link to their state contacts. Public service announcements Share these brief audio clips and videos, available in Native languages and English, on your local radio station, website, and Facebook page. Audio clips   Videos Tweet it Expecting a Medicaid renewal letter? Make sure your mailing address is up to date. https://youtu.be/iQzfO_f_u-Q #CMSNativeHealth Flyers and other resources Download these resources or order copies on the Tribal Products Ordering Page. Please allow 2 weeks for your order to be completed. The Medicaid Enroll Any Time flyer (PDF, 426 KB, 1 p) explains how Medicaid enrollment benefits Native people and their communities. The Men’s Health Checklist (PDF, 1.4 MB, 2 pp) helps men of all ages track the preventive services they need to stay well. Support for Veterans (PDF, 501 KB, 2 pp) explains the different health care coverage options available to Native people who served in the armed forces.

 

Health observances

 

June is Men’s Health Month In observance of Men’s Health Month, urge men in your community to schedule their next wellness visit and check out CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page for brochures listing Indian health facilities by region. Regularly scheduled wellness visits can help prevent heart disease and other chronic conditions. Such visits are also opportunities for health care providers to highlight the importance of: Staying active Quitting smoking Getting all the recommended vaccinations

National HIV Testing Day: June 27 HIV is treatable and preventable. However, some people do not know they have the infection and may pass it on to their partners. National HIV Testing Day is observed each year on June 27 to encourage everyone to find out their HIV status and take steps to keep themselves and their partners healthy. Help promote HIV testing in your community by downloading and sharing the Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign’s Doing It poster (PDF, 1.5 MB, 1 p) and social media toolkit. Also, let people know that HIV self-testing provides the option of being tested at a time and place that is convenient for them.

 

Additional resources

 

Boosting children’s immunity against COVID-19 Children ages 5–11 years are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose 5 months after their initial 2 doses. However, many children have not yet received an initial vaccination series. To help promote vaccination of Native children against COVID-19, share the following culturally tailored videos from the We Can Do This campaign: Children Are Sacred Mommy’s Baby Get answers to common questions that parents and guardians have about COVID-19 and the vaccines to prevent it.

 

Funding opportunities

 

Tribal Opioid Response grants Deadline: June 27 View the Tribal Opioid Response funding opportunity Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is offering Tribal Opioid Response grants to: Increase access to medications for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) Support the continuum of services for people with OUD and co-occurring substance use disorders Up to 150 grants will be awarded for a performance period of 2 years or less. Tribes and tribal organizations are eligible to apply individually, as a consortium, or in partnership with an urban Indian organization.

Health Center Program’s Service Area Competition Deadline: July 5 View the Health Center Program’s funding opportunity The Health Center Program’s Service Area Competition funds efforts to provide medically underserved populations with continued access to comprehensive, culturally competent primary care services. Up to 82 grants will be awarded for a 3-year performance period. Tribal organizations are encouraged to apply.

Closing the Gap with SDOH Accelerator Plans Deadline: July 8 View the Closing the Gap with SDOH Accelerator Plans funding opportunity Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering funds for the development of multisector action plans that address social determinants of health (SDOH) and improve chronic disease outcomes among persons experiencing health disparities. Approximately 40 grants will be awarded for a 1-year performance period. Tribal governments and tribal organizations are encouraged to apply.

Reducing Maternal Deaths Due to SUD Deadline: July 11 at 6 pm Eastern View the Reducing Maternal Deaths Due to SUD funding opportunity The Office on Women’s Health will fund projects to strengthen support structures for people with substance use disorder (SUD) during pregnancy, birth, and the 12 months after birth. Approximately 5 grantees will receive funds for a performance period of up to 3 years, with an optional competitive fourth year. Tribes, tribal organizations, and Indian housing authorities are eligible to apply.

 

Calendar of events

 

Some events may be cancelled, postponed, or held virtually as public health officials monitor COVID-19 safety measures during this time. Please check the events’ pages for updates on event status.

Virtual CMS ITU Outreach and Education Trainings The CMS Division of Tribal Affairs offers virtual trainings to benefit coordinators and business office, patient registration, medical records, and purchased/referred care services staff. ITU staff are encouraged to register for the training for their respective IHS area, as the agendas will include area-specific issues and state Medicaid/CHIP presentations. However, you may register for other IHS area webinars if you are interested. Please check CMS’s website periodically for more information as these virtual events are scheduled and opened for registration. Upcoming Virtual ITU Trainings by IHS Area Nashville: Weeks of June 20 and 27 (mornings) Bemidji: Weeks of June 20 and 27 (afternoons)

USET Webinars on Native Psychological Brilliance United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET), a tribal behavioral health ECHO, hosts a Reclaiming Native Psychological Brilliance webinar on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 2 pm Eastern. Native Psychological Brilliance refers to the intelligence, strengths, balance, innate resources, and resilience of Native people. Register for the USET webinars. Dates and topics of upcoming webinars are listed below. June 28: Assessment and Diagnosis Through Indigenous Lens July 26: Substance Use and Hungry Ghosts August 23: Role of Indigenous Healing Practices in Native Life Re-Balance

2nd National Conference on AI/AN Injury and Violence Prevention July 26–28 Virtual Register for the 2nd National Conference on AI/AN Injury and Violence Prevention The theme of the 2nd National Conference on American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Injury and Violence Prevention is “Reconnecting to Promote Health Equity and Advance Practice and Science.” Hosted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Indian Health Service, the conference will include sessions on suicide prevention, missing and murdered Indigenous people, transportation safety, and more.

 

 

Contact us Do you have news to share? Send it to coveringic@kauffmaninc.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too. About the newsletter Covering Indian Country is published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Division of Tribal Affairs to share resources, success stories, and best practices with the people who connect tribal communities to health care coverage.   Download Adobe Reader for the best reading experience with PDF files.