In this issue: Preventive care resources for the new year
New year, new opportunities to promote coverage for prevention
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It's the time of year when people are thinking about what they can do to live healthier, happier, and longer lives. That means it's also a perfect time to promote the benefits of health coverage—which provides free stop smoking programs, nutrition counseling, cancer screenings, immunizations, and behavioral health care.
This special issue of Covering Indian Country offers tips and educational resources you can use to explain the benefits of the preventive health services offered under health coverage plans, including Medicaid, Medicare, and plans purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
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January: Healthy children
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Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. Other sizes are available on CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page.
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 Tweet it
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Start the new year by adding #healthy foods to your children's diets. And sign them up for health coverage to keep them on track
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#Nativehealth
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Flyers and fact sheets
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Download these files or order copies of these resources on the Tribal Products Ordering Page. Please allow 2 weeks for your order to be completed.
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The Men's Health Checklist (PDF, 1.4 MB, 2 pp) runs through all of the preventive health checks men should talk to their doctor about.
Women can use the Women's Health Checklist (PDF, 890 KB, 2 pp) to make sure they are getting proper preventive health care.
The Children's Health Checklist (PDF, 965 KB, 2 pp) goes over preventive health care children should get during well child visits to the doctor.
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Healthy weight loss is worth the wait
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Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can be tough, but the effort pays off. Results of a 10-year study suggest that even minor weight loss is associated with substantial reductions in the long-term risk for diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
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Here are a few tips for you to share with people who have resolved to lose weight:
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- Set realistic goals.
- Allow time for lifestyle changes to become habits.
- Drink more water and fewer sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Relieve stress by taking a walk outside or at the mall.
- Stay motivated with non-food rewards.
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Also, recommend that people ask their health care provider for help with choosing an approach to weight loss that works for them. Additionally, remind people that diabetes screening and obesity counseling are covered by insurance as essential health benefits.
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Help people kick the smoking habit
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With the new year comes the perfect opportunity to connect patients to stop smoking programs. These programs are an essential health benefit covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and plans purchased on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
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Life expectancy for smokers is at least a decade shorter than that for non-smokers, and secondhand smoke puts children and other family members at increased risk for death from lung cancer and heart disease. That's why motivating smokers to quit the habit is so important.
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The National Native Network's Keep It Sacred campaign features resources with culturally relevant messaging for American Indians and Alaska Native communities.
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Help patients stay up-to-date on immunizations
One of the best ways to stay healthy is to prevent diseases altogether. Immunizations offer protection from diseases ranging from chickenpox and the flu to hepatitis A and B and measles.
Give your clients CMS's downloadable AI/AN vaccination checklist (PDF, 1.3 MB, 2 pp) to bring to doctor's visits to ensure they are up-to-date on immunizations. The checklist covers children's and adults' vaccinations. All of these immunizations are covered as free preventive care under all insurance plans.
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Lack of awareness, fear of cancer screenings a barrier to prevention for Native Americans
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Some American Indians and Alaska Natives face barriers to cancer prevention because of a low awareness of screening options and fear of screening tests or results, according to the America Indian Cancer Foundation. You can do your part to help alleviate these barriers by encouraging patients to get the cancer screenings they need.
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All plans under Medicare, Medicaid, and the Health Insurance Marketplace must offer many free cancer screenings as essential health benefits. Free cancer screenings include:
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- Breast cancer genetic test counseling,
- Breast cancer chemoprevention counseling for women at higher risk,
- Cervical cancer screening,
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Colorectal cancer screening (ages 50+),
- Lung cancer screening, and
- Prostate cancer screening (men over 50).
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According to the Office of Minority Health, cancer rates are lower overall for American Indians and Alaska Natives than for Whites, but higher for some specific types of cancers, including liver, kidney, and stomach cancers.
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Lightening the mood after the holidays
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January can be challenging for people who experience fatigue, loneliness, and reduced motivation—all symptoms of post-holiday letdown. Additionally, less exposure to sunlight during the winter months can be associated with changes in mood and behavior, such as decreased interest in activities and excessive sleepiness.
Help people resist the urge to hibernate by sharing these tips.
- Weather permitting, take a walk outside.
- Attend community or congregational events.
- Volunteer at the library or local food bank.
- Offer to help a neighbor with errands or chores.
- Invent reasons to celebrate with friends over festive meals either at home or in a restaurant.
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Finally, encourage anyone experiencing persistent sadness or anxiety to seek out professional help, and let people know that mental health services are considered essential health benefits.
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CMS Quality Conference
January 29–31, 2019
Baltimore, MD
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The CMS Quality Conference is open to community health care stakeholders. Interactive sessions, master classes, seminars, and keynote addresses will cover topics such as value-based care, management of complex chronic conditions, and opioid reduction.
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NICWA Training Institute
February 5–7, 2019
Palm Springs, CA
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National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) Training Institutes provide opportunities to keep current on child welfare. February's training institute will focus on tribal customary adoption, in-home services, and the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. Register.
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CMS ITU Outreach and Education Training
February 27, 2019
San Diego, CA
The target audience for this CMS ITU training is business office staff, benefits coordinators, patient registration staff, medical records staff, and purchased/referred care services staff. Topics include CMS Tribal Affairs updates, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, state-administered programs, Social Security, and Veterans Affairs.
Upcoming ITU Outreach and Education Trainings:
March 12 in Gallup, NM
March 20 in Denver, CO
April 3 in Seattle, WA
April 23 in Albuquerque, NM
May 14 in Kansas City, MO
May 30 in Bemidji, MN
June 4 in Sacramento, CA
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Circle of Harmony HIV/AIDS Wellness Conference
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March 26–28, 2019
Albuquerque, NM
Sponsored by the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board, this 14th annual conference addresses issues related to prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS among Native Americans. Register.
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NICWA Protecting Our Children Conference
March 31–April 3, 2019
Albuquerque, NM
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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.
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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 coverage.
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