The CMS Office of Minority Health (OMH) celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month

The CMS Office of Minority Health (OMH) celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month by helping Hispanics take steps for better health through its resources for Spanish speaking beneficiaries. National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. We encourage you to take the time to learn more about how you can help improve health care access and health equity within the Hispanic community. Listed below are some of the ways individuals, organizations, and communities can join CMS OMH in its efforts to provide resources to Hispanic communities. ·         Medicare Open Enrollment begins December 15. Download the Medicare & You handbook, available in English and Spanish, to share information with individuals about the 2017 Open Enrollment and about what Medicare covers.  ·         Read CMS OMH’s Race, Ethnicity, and Language Preference in the Health Insurance Marketplaces 2017 Open Enrollment Period data highlight, which examines Marketplace enrollment activity by racial and ethnic subgroup as well as spoken and written language preference. Two key findings from this report were that one in 10 consumers ages 18-64 in HealthCare.gov states attested to a Hispanic ethnicity and the second most spoken language among this segment was Spanish.  ·         Download and share the Health Insurance Marketplace’s Value of Health Insurance fact sheet in English or Spanish, to promote the importance of having and using health insurance. ·         Download and share From Coverage to Care resources, such as A Roadmap to Better Care and a Healthier You in English and Spanish, to help individuals make the most of their health coverage.  ·         Share the Connected Care initiative’s chronic care management resources, such as the “Connecting the Dots” patient animated videos in English and Spanish, to help individuals living with multiple chronic diseases learn more about the benefits of chronic care management services.  To learn more about CMS OMH and to download resources at no cost to your organization, please visit https://go.cms.gov/omh.