Covering Indian Country – March 2021

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Covering Indian Country

March 2021

Spotlight: Special Enrollment Period for Marketplace coverage

Image of a cell phone in a woman's hands. Affordable health care is a tap away. HealthCare.gov

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.

The March 2021 PSA features a Native person using a laptop and announces the 2021 Special Enrollment Period for Marketplace coverage that now runs through August 15.

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.

SoundcloudAudio clips



YoutubeVideos

TwitterTweet 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

A collage of 3 resources: 
(1) Your Third Party at Work poster
(2) Tribal Coverage to Care brochure
(3) Information for American Indians and Alaska Natives Applying for Coverage

Download these resources at your convenience.

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.

Infographic titled "Indigenous Food for Your (Gut) Health"

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:

Image of Native health care worker with the words, "The vaccine was developed quickly. Is it safe? YES. All safety guidelines set by the FDA to make vaccines were followed. The vaccines were developed rapidly by speeding up the governmental and scientific processes, not by cutting corners on safety!"

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.

Logo for Protecting Our Children Virtual Conference on April 11-14, 2021

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

Heart-shaped NIHB word cloud

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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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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