Covering Indian Country – March 2021

 

March 2021

 

Spotlight: Special Enrollment Period for Marketplace coverage CMS has announced a Special Enrollment Period to allow families to obtain Marketplace health care coverage during the ongoing national public health emergency due to COVID-19. People with health care coverage are more likely to receive essential health benefits (PDF, 2.4 MB, 2 pp), such as vaccinations and cancer screenings, than people without coverage. That’s why the CMS Division of Tribal Affairs (DTA) encourages all eligible individuals and families to apply for Marketplace coverage during this year’s Special Enrollment Period (SEP), which now runs through August 15. DTA also urges enrollment assisters and outreach workers to visit the CMS Tribal Products webpage for tribal-specific resources on health care coverage. This year’s Special Enrollment Period gives eligible individuals and families additional time to sign up for Marketplace health care coverage. The SEP is available in states enrolled in the federal Marketplace through HealthCare.gov. Notably, the SEP is open to all Marketplace-eligible consumers who are submitting a new application or updating an existing application. If one family member listed on the application is eligible for the SEP, all family members on the same application are eligible. Once an application has been submitted and approved, consumers have 30 days to enroll in a Marketplace plan. Coverage begins the first of the month after the enrollment date.

 

March: Open enrollment

 

Good news! The Special Enrollment Period has been extended to run through August 15. Please visit HealthCare.gov for updates. Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. For more information, please visit CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page. Public service announcements Share these brief audio clips and videos, available in 10 Native languages and English, on your local radio station, website, and Facebook page. Audio clips   Videos Tweet it Need health care coverage? The Special Enrollment Period for Marketplace coverage runs through August 15. Marketplace Enrollment – English - YouTube #CMSNativeHealth Resources on health care coverage Download these resources at your convenience. Your Third Party at Work (PDF, 752 KB, 1 p) highlights how health care coverage provides additional funds to support the needs of tribal clinics. From Coverage to Care (PDF, 807 KB, 48 pp) explains how to use health care coverage to stay well. Information for American Indians and Alaska Natives Applying for Coverage (PDF, 136 KB, 4 pp) reviews the protections available to Native people in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Marketplace.

 

Health observances

 

March is National Nutrition Month National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign to promote healthy eating patterns. This year, the campaign’s theme is “Personalize Your Plate,” which encourages people to create nutritious meals based on their cultural preferences. Eating traditional foods can help support a healthy weight and lower blood sugar. To that end, the American Indian Cancer Foundation offers an infographic highlighting the role of Indigenous plant products in maintaining health. Additionally, the Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition is presenting a webinar series featuring live cooking demonstrations by Indigenous women chefs.

 

Colon cancer screening March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, an annual health observance to promote colon cancer screening. According to the American Indian Cancer Foundation, colon cancer is a leading cause of death in Native American communities. Treatment is more likely to be successful when cancer is found early. Book your screening test with your provider to get back on track this month. To help health care providers and health educators get people back on track, there is a 2-part podcast series, Effective Strategies to Reach Patients for Colorectal Cancer Screening During COVID-19, now available on the National Native Network website. Part 1 of the podcast series reviews the latest colon cancer rates and highlights examples of projects to promote colon cancer screening in tribal communities.Part 2 focuses on grassroots-level implementation of outreach and education strategies to increase screening.

 

Additional resources

 

COVID-19 materials for tribal communities The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health (JHCAIH) recently released a toolkit to help tribal communities prevent and cope with COVID-19. The toolkit’s resources include: Guidance for health communication (PDF, 220 KB, 2 pp) A data briefing template (PDF, 746 KB, 15 pp) A data reporting dashboard (Excel, 304 KB) A wraparound services guide (PDF, 274 KB, 3 pp) Additionally, to help promote COVID-19 vaccination in Native communities, JHCAIH created an editable vaccine postcard and a COVID-19 vaccine question and answer social media toolkit.

 

Funding opportunities

 

Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program Deadline: April 2, 2021 View the Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program funding opportunity Funds are available from the Health Resources and Services Administration to support telehealth networks’ use of real-time, virtual visits to increase access to care in rural, underserved areas. Up to 14 cooperative agreements of up to $350,000 per year will be awarded for a 5-year performance period.

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Psychostimulant Support Deadline: April 12, 2021 View the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Psychostimulant Support funding opportunity The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Psychostimulant Support grants will support activities that expand access to psychostimulant misuse prevention, treatment, and recovery services for people in high-risk rural communities. HRSA anticipates awarding up to 15 grants of up to $500,000 each for a 3-year period of performance. Tribes and tribal organizations are encouraged 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 Portland/Billings: Weeks of April 5–12 Albuquerque: Weeks of April 26–May 3 Navajo: Weeks of May 3–10 Oklahoma City: Weeks of May 10–17 California: Weeks of May 17–24 Great Plains: Weeks of June 7–14 Bemidji/Nashville: Weeks of June 14–21

Indian Health Service Webinars Sponsored by the Indian Health Service (IHS) Tele-Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, the IHS webinars listed below are intended for all health care team members. Upcoming webinars by series Child and adolescent behavioral health (3 pm eastern) April 6: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder April 20: Screening and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder May 4: After an Autism Spectrum Diagnosis: Next Steps May 18: Applied Behavior Analysis for Autism Spectrum Disorder Domestic and sexual violence (11 am eastern) April 7: Intimate Partner Violence and Substance Use Disorders in Couples April 14: Intimate Partner Violence and Trauma April 21: Interventions for Children and Adolescents Displaying Problematic Sexual Behaviors April 28: Intimate Partner Violence Screening and Danger Assessment May 5: Intimate Partner Violence and Pregnancy May 12: Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation May 19: Behavioral Health Intervention Strategies for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence May 26: LGBTQ2s Intimate Partner Violence

Protecting Our Children Conference April 11–14 Virtual Register for the Protecting Our Children Conference The theme of the 39th annual Protecting Our Children Conference is “Connectedness, Resilience, and Persistence.” Sponsored by the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the conference is geared toward social service providers; legal professionals; advocates for children; and tribal, state, and federal leaders.

Promoting Mental Wellness Webinar The National Council of Urban Indian Health invites urban Indian organization staff and leadership to attend the final webinar in the series, Promoting Mental Wellness: Addressing Suicide and Substance Misuse Among Urban Native Youth During COVID-19. Upcoming webinar April 20, 1 pm eastern: Weaving Calm: A Strength-Based Approach to Addressing Stress Among Urban Native Youth During COVID-19

NIHB 2021 National Tribal Public Health Summit April 27–29 Virtual Register for the National Tribal Public Health Summit The theme of this year’s National Tribal Public Health Summit is “Indigenous Resilience in Tribal Public Health Practice.” Sponsored by the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), the summit will bring together public health professionals, researchers, and policy experts to discuss evidenced-based emerging and promising practices in public, behavioral, and environmental health.

 

 

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