Covering Indian Country – January 2022

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent this bulletin at 01/04/2022 01:30 PM EST
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Covering Indian Country

January 2022

Spotlight: January 15 enrollment deadline
Image of a calendar with an exclamation mark and the words 'Final Deadline January 15'

Each January, many people resolve to prioritize wellness. Enrollment in health insurance can help make that resolution a reality and protect families from high medical costs.

The current Marketplace open enrollment period runs through Saturday, January 15. While tribal citizens can enroll year-round, please encourage tribal family members who are not tribal citizens to visit HealthCare.gov and enroll in a Marketplace plan by that date.

Help tribal family members who are not tribal citizens enroll by January 15 for health insurance that starts on February 1.

Also, remind everyone that all Marketplace plans cover essential health benefits (PDF, 2.5 MB, 2 pp), such as vaccinations and cancer screenings. And let people know that special protections are available to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) who enroll.

For more information on why AI/ANs should sign up for a health care coverage plan, download and share:

January: Virtual health care
The January 2022 PSA depicts an ongoing smartphone conversation with a health care provider. Health care made easy. Reach your health care provider virtually from home. Contact your local Indian health care provider for more information, visit Healthcare.gov, or call 1–800–318–2596.

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 Native languages and English, on your local radio station, website, and Facebook page.

SoundcloudAudio clips



YoutubeVideos
TwitterTweet it

Need to access care from home? Reach your provider virtually.

https://youtu.be/4sWLRGHgQ00

#CMSNativeHealth

Booklets and other resources from CMS

A collage of 3 resources: (1) Health Care off the Reservation booklet (2) 18-month 2022-2023 tribal calendar (3) CMS Programs at a Glance brochure

Download these resources or order copies on the Tribal Products Ordering Page. Please allow 2 weeks for your order to be completed.

  • Health Care off the Reservation (PDF, 906 KB, 4 pp) explains options for accessing care while traveling or living outside of a tribe's service delivery area.
  • The 18-month 2022–2023 tribal calendar (PDF, 5.7 MB, 44 pp) helps keep track of appointments and provides links to resources on health care coverage options.
  • CMS Programs at a Glance (PDF, 999 KB, 2 pp) reviews health care coverage options and benefits specific to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
 

Health observances
Native-themed fact sheet titled Preteens Need HPV Vaccine to Prevent Cancer

Cervical cancer prevention

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. And this year, Turquoise Thursday—a national cervical cancer awareness campaign for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs)—falls on January 20.

Cervical cancer is often caused by a lingering human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. That's why vaccination against HPV is so important.

Help prevent cervical cancer by sharing a Native-themed HPV vaccine fact sheet (PDF, 817 KB, 1 p) and AI/AN-specific posters promoting HPV vaccination.

Also, encourage women in your community to visit a health care provider regularly for an HPV test or a Pap smear, which look for abnormal cells that might turn into cancer later.

Helping people achieve and maintain a healthy weight

Providing reliable access to nutritious foods and safe places to be physically active can help people of all ages achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

In observance of Healthy Weight Week (January 16–22), share the links to 3 Indian Health Service webinars on obesity prevention. The webinars cover the following topics:

  • Using collaborative garden projects to engage families in wellness
  • Helping communities create policies and systems to support obesity prevention efforts
  • Implementing community-based approaches to nutrition education

Additional resources

Children's book to foster resilience during the pandemic

Printable and e-reader versions of a book to help Native youth cope with the ongoing pandemic are available online.

Illustration of a Native Elder and 2 children sitting on the grass

Created by the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health (JHCAIH), Our Smallest Warriors, Our Strongest Medicine: Honoring Our Teachings During COVID-19 highlights the importance of:

  • Being creative and adapting to new situations
  • Acknowledging our emotions
  • Recognizing that lands protect and support us
  • Caring for ourselves and each other

The book is intended to be read aloud by a parent, caregiver, or teacher. Visit JHCAIH's webpage for worksheets, activity pages, and other supplemental resources.

Toolkit to increase health literacy

Sharing false or misleading information can threaten health and put lives at risk. To help people evaluate the accuracy of health-related content, the U.S. Surgeon General recently released a community toolkit (PDF, 2.7 MB, 22 pp) for:

  • Health care professionals
  • Teachers and school administrators
  • Librarians
  • Faith leaders
  • Other trusted community members

The toolkit lists common types of health misinformation and provides tips and best practices for discussing misinformation with friends, relatives, and neighbors. It also includes a checklist to help people assess whether information is reliable.

Funding opportunities

Native American Congressional internships

Deadline: January 31

View the Congressional internship funding opportunity

The Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy funds summer internships for American Indian and Alaska Native undergraduate, graduate, or law students who are committed to careers related to tribal public policy or supporting tribal communities.

The program places 12 interns in Senate, House, and federal agency offices to enhance understanding of how the U.S. government works with tribal nations. Interns will be expected to live and work in Washington, DC, from May 25–July 30, 2022.

Ohiyesa Premedical Program

Deadline: January 31
View the Ohiyesa Premedical Program funding opportunity

The Ohiyesa Premedical Program will enroll 8 Native youth who are interested in health care careers and entering their first or second year at a tribal or community college.

The program includes a 3-week summer program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, as well as virtual meetings during the rest of the calendar year.

IHS grants for behavioral health programs

Deadline: February 2

Read about IHS's 6 behavioral health funding opportunities

Indian Health Service (IHS) has announced the availability of $46.4 million for 6 funding opportunities that address suicide, domestic violence, and substance abuse and that support an integrative approach to behavioral health service delivery.

Tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations are eligible 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.

Indian Health Service Webinars

Sponsored by the Indian Health Service (IHS) Tele-Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, the IHS tele-education webinars listed below are intended for health care team members.

Addictions and recovery webinar series (12 pm Eastern)
January 18: Inhalant Use Disorder
January 25: Psychedelic Use: Ancient Traditions, Therapeutic Use, and Misuse
February 1: Other Addictions (Non-Substance)
February 8: Concurrent Substance Use Disorders
February 15: Legal and Ethical Issues in Supporting People Living with Addiction

Child and adolescent behavioral health webinar series (3 pm Eastern)
January 27: Autism Spectrum Disorder & Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
February 10: Autism Spectrum Disorder & Anxiety Disorders
February 24: Autism Spectrum Disorder & Disruptive Disorders

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.

ACL/NICOA ITU Training Series
January 18–April 19 (Tuesdays at 2 pm Eastern)

IHS Partnership Training Series
January 19–February 18 (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 2 pm Eastern)

Upcoming Virtual ITU Trainings by IHS area

Phoenix: Weeks of January 24 and 31
Navajo: Weeks of March 21 and 28
Billings: Weeks of April 4 and 11 (mornings)
Portland: Weeks of April 4 and 11 (afternoons)
Albuquerque: Weeks of April 18 and 25
Oklahoma City: Weeks of May 9 and 16
California: Weeks of May 23 and 30
Great Plains: Weeks of June 6 and 13
Nashville: Weeks of June 20 and 27 (mornings)
Bemidji: Weeks of June 20 and 27 (afternoons)

Virtual Tribal Leaders Training Series

January 20–April 21 on Thursdays at 2 pm Eastern
Register for the Tribal Leaders Training Series

CMS, in partnership with National Indian Health Board, is committed to enhancing tribes' ability to access third party resources. To that end, CMS invites tribal leaders, health directors, and health care administrators to join the Tribal Leaders Training Series. The series will cover programs and benefits available through Medicare, Medicaid, the Marketplace, and more.

Context Clues: Using SDOH to Enhance Treatment

The Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network and Aetna Better Health of Kansas have developed the Context Clues webinar series to help health care providers and other interested parties identify and address social determinants of health (SDOH).

Register for the Context Clues webinars. Dates and topics of upcoming webinars are listed below.

January 20
Domestic Violence (1–1:30 pm Eastern)
Suicide and Self-Harm (1:30–2 pm Eastern)

February 17
Trauma and Chronic Stress (1–1:30 pm Eastern)
Military Deployment (1:30–2 pm Eastern)

March 17
Pediatric Sleep (1–1:30 pm Eastern)
Adolescent and Adult Sleep (1:30–2 pm Eastern)

April 21
Adjustment to Diagnosis (1–1:30 pm Eastern)
Adherence (1:30–2 pm Eastern)
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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.

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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