Spotlight: Giving kids their best shot at wellness
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to adapt and take steps to protect the health of ourselves and our families.
Yet one thing that has not changed is CMS’s commitment to outreach and education aimed at ensuring all eligible children have access to preventive services and emergency care.
Children and adolescents who are enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are eligible to receive routine vaccinations (PDF, 688 KB, 2 pp), behavioral assessments, and other essential health benefits (PDF, 2.5 MB, 2 pp). And enrollment in CMS programs helps support Indian health facilities.
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The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign works closely with partners and community-based organizations who conduct outreach.
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That’s why Connecting Kids to Coverage recently created new resources on free or low-cost health care coverage options available through Medicaid and CHIP to children and adolescents up to age 19.
Notably, the new resources encourage all parents and caregivers to apply for benefits, even if they applied previously and were deemed ineligible. This message is especially important now, given pandemic-related layoffs and the resulting drop in employer-sponsored health care coverage.
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August: Wear a mask; save a life
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Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. Other sizes will be available on CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page.
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Public service announcements
Share these brief audio clips and videos, available in several Native languages and English, on your local radio station, website, and Facebook page.
 Audio clips
 Videos
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Flyers and fact sheets
Download these resources or order copies on the Tribal Products Ordering Page. Please allow 2 weeks for your order to be completed.
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August is National Immunization Awareness Month
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Vaccines help prevent community spread of diseases, such as influenza, measles, and whooping cough.
In observance of National Immunization Awareness Month, show your support for immunization requirements and recommendations by sharing a link to Vaccines in Indian Country: Native Parents & Vaccines (3:04).
In this 3-minute video, Native health care professionals explain how they draw on Native values to make vaccination easier for children and their parents.
The video was produced by Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc., and Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center, with funding provided by a cooperative agreement from Indian Health Service.
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IHS Tribal Management Grant Program
Deadline: August 24, 2020
View the IHS Tribal Management Grant Program funding opportunity Indian Health Service (IHS) is offering funds to enhance and develop health management infrastructure. Approximately 14–16 awards of up to $150,000 each will be issued.
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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.
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Virtual CMS ITU Outreach and Education Trainings
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Due to travel and training restrictions issued as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CMS Division of Tribal Affairs will be offering virtual trainings to business office staff, patient registration staff, Health Insurance Marketplace staff, and benefits coordinators in each IHS area. 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, if you are not able to attend a session on a particular topic during your area’s training event, you may register for other IHS area webinars.
Please check CMS’s website periodically for more information as these virtual events are scheduled and opened for registration.
Upcoming Virtual ITU Trainings:
IHS California Area: August 4–13
IHS Portland Area: August 17–26
IHS Nashville Area: August 23–September 11
IHS Bemidji Area: August 23–September 11
IHS Oklahoma City Area: September 8–18
IHS Albuquerque Area: September 14–25
IHS Billings Area: September 21–30
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NNHRTI Webinar Series
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The National Native Health Research Training Initiative (NNHRTI) webinars are opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) scientists and health professionals to share knowledge that addresses the health needs of AI/AN communities.
Please check NNHRTI’s website periodically for more information about upcoming webinars.
Dates of upcoming webinars (all held at 2 pm eastern)
August 19
September 16
October 21
November 18
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Domestic Violence and Disabilities Webinar
September 16, 2020, at 3 pm eastern
Register for the Domestic Violence and Disabilities Webinar
Sponsored by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, this webinar will focus on the need to provide safe and effective services to Native women who have disabilities and have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking.
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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 care coverage.
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