Covering Indian Country – June 2023

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Covering Indian Country

June 2023

Spotlight: Health care access

Infographic illustrating five domains of social determinants of health

Healthy People 2030 is a national initiative to address public health priorities. An overarching goal of that initiative is to "eliminate health disparities, achieve health equity, and attain health literacy to improve the health and well-being of all."

In line with that goal, Healthy People 2030 focuses on the need to address social determinants of health (SDOH), which contribute significantly to health disparities and inequities.

Recently, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion released several Healthy People 2030 infographics with examples of how SDOH influence health outcomes.

One infographic highlights the need for increased access to affordable, high-quality, and convenient health care. Titled Access to Health Services (PDF, 373 KB, 1 p), the infographic explains how health insurance, telehealth, and other factors make it easier for people to get care when they need it.

Health insurance, telehealth, and other factors make it easier for people to get care when they need it.

Enrollment assisters and outreach workers play key roles in increasing people's access to health services. That's why we encourage you to review Health Coverage Options for American Indians and Alaska Natives (PDF, 195 KB, 10 pp), which discusses the coverage options available to AI/ANs through the Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Additionally, please see the tribal version of Roadmap to Better Care (PDF, 782 KB, 24 pp) for an explanation of what health coverage is and how it increases access to the care families need to stay well.

Also, download and share Telehealth: What to Know for Your Family (PDF, 2.3 MB, 9 pp) for information about the types of services available through telehealth and how to access those services. Finally, let people know they can call 3-1-1 for local information on transportation to health care appointments.

June: Men's health

Native American man with a call to action for other men to take care of their health during Men's Health Month

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

Make time for self-care. Contact a health care provider today to schedule your next wellness visit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yutyrnOlqTI

#CMSNativeHealth

Flyers and other resources

A collage of three resources: (1) Men's Health Checklist (2) 18-month 2023-2024 calendar (3) Tribal version of Roadmap to Better Care

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

 

Health observances

June is Men's Health Month

Men are more likely than women to put off scheduling regular checkups and seeking help for behavioral health challenges.

In observance of Men's Health Month, please encourage men in your community to schedule their next appointment for preventive health services (PDF, 406 KB, 1 p). Also, remind men that:

  • CMS programs and Marketplace health plans offer preventive care benefits
  • Behavioral health services are essential health benefits

National HIV Testing Day: June 27

Get Yourself Tested poster

HIV infection is preventable and treatable. When people know their HIV status, they can make informed decisions about how to keep themselves and their partners healthy.

That’s why CDC recommends everyone ages 13–64 get tested for HIV at least once.

As National HIV Testing Day approaches, download and share resources from the Get Yourself Tested campaign aimed at Native youth.

Available on the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board website, the resources include a poster (shown here) and social media graphics.

Additional resources

Addressing loneliness and isolation to improve health

Cover of U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community

Recognizing the serious impact of loneliness and isolation on people's physical and mental health, the U.S. Surgeon General has issued an advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community (PDF, 7.9 MB, 82 pp).

Available on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website, the advisory outlines a national strategy to help communities become more socially connected.

Individuals, community-based organizations, schools, workplaces, health systems, public health professionals, and governments are encouraged to visit the HHS website for recommendations and resources to help implement the strategy.

One resource provides an overview of the CDC's Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country (TPWIC) program (PDF, 276 KB, 2 pp). TPWIC supports a five-year cooperative agreement promoting strategies suggested by tribal leaders to increase:

  • Cultural and social connectedness
  • Consumption of healthy traditional foods and or physical activity in communities

Funding opportunities

Tribal Self-Governance Program planning and negotiation

Two types of Tribal Self-Governance Program funding opportunities are available:

  1. Approximately five planning cooperative agreements will be awarded for a one-year performance period. The deadline to apply is June 20.

    Planning cooperative agreements are intended to make sure tribes, tribal organizations, and inter-tribal consortia are fully prepared to assume the transfer of IHS programs and services to the tribal health program.
  2. Approximately five negotiation cooperative agreements will be awarded for a one-year performance period. The deadline to apply is June 30.

    Negotiation cooperative agreements are intended to help defray the costs of preparing for and engaging in Tribal Self-Governance Program negotiations.

Overdose prevention among youth

Deadline: June 27
View the overdose prevention funding opportunity

Funds are available for overdose prevention projects that:

  • Improve awareness among local youth of the risks associated with fentanyl
  • Increase access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) for adolescents and young adults
  • Train health care providers, families, and school personnel on best practices for supporting youth with opioid use disorder and those taking MOUD

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration expects to award four grants for projects lasting up to three years. Tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations are encouraged to apply.

ACTion pilot projects

Deadline: June 30
View the ACTion funding opportunity

Funds are available for ACTion (Addressing Conditions To improve population health) pilot projects that address social determinants of health. Projects should focus on implementing policy, systems, and environmental change interventions across the following four domains:

  • Built environment
  • Community-clinical linkages
  • Food and nutrition security
  • Social connectedness

The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion expects to award five cooperative agreements for a three-year performance period. Tribes and tribal organizations are encouraged to apply.

Calendar of events

Virtual CMS ITU outreach and education trainings

CMS is committed to helping the Indian Health Service, tribal health programs, and urban Indian programs (ITU) maximize their ability to access third-party resources. To meet this objective, each year CMS holds trainings on pertinent topics to educate ITU staff and help them meet the needs of the patients they serve.

Online registration opens 30 days prior to each ITU training. Once registration is open, detailed information about the training will be available, along with a link to access and print all training materials.

Upcoming Virtual ITU Trainings by IHS Area

Nashville: Weeks of June 19 and 26 (mornings)
Bemidji: Weeks of June 19 and 26 (afternoons)
Oklahoma: Weeks of July 10 and 17

Maternal Health Tribal Learning Community webinar

Maternal Health Tribal Learning Community logo

The National Indian Health Board, in collaboration with CDC, is hosting a webinar series to address maternal health disparities in Indian Country.

The final webinar, Advancing Health Equity: Strengthening Community Engagement and Partnerships, is June 27 at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Medicaid and CHIP Continous Enrollment Unwinding: What to Know and How to Prepare

To educate its partners, CMS hosts a series of monthly webinars on the unwinding of Medicaid and CHIP continuous enrollment. The topics covered vary each month

Webinars are held the fourth Wednesday of each month from 12–1 p.m. Eastern. Register now to attend the next webinar, to be held June 28. Also, visit CMS's online archive for access to recordings of previous webinars in the series.

11th Annual National Native Harm Reduction Summit

July 12–13
Mahnomen, Minnesota
Complete the National Native Harm Reduction Summit pre-registration form

The National Native Harm Reduction Summit is an opportunity for behavioral health care professionals, social service providers, public health professionals, and community members to address issues related to hepatitis C, HIV, and drug use in tribal, urban Indian, and rural communities. Attendees may choose to participate in person or virtually. Please indicate your preferred attendance option on the pre-registration form.

Indian Health Service webinar

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

Child and adolescent behavioral health webinar series, 1 p.m. Eastern
July 13: Interventions and Supports: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

Being an Ally in Indian Country

July 18–19
12–2 p.m., 3–5 p.m., and 6–7 p.m. Eastern

Virtual
Register for Being an Ally in Indian Country

Native Wellness Institute will facilitate an interactive training for tribal administrators, frontline workers, urban Indian center employees, and agency staff. The agenda includes time for group discussion, reflection, and assessment.

Banner for Regional Tribal Environmental Health Summit Series

Oklahoma Area Regional Tribal Environmental Health Summit

July 25–26
Oklahoma City
Register for the Oklahoma Area Regional Tribal Environmental Health Summit

Join tribal leaders, subject matter experts, and federal partners for the first in a series of regional tribal environmental health summits, hosted by National Indian Health Board and CDC. Each summit provides opportunities to share best practices, recommend policies, and identify solutions to address environmental health issues that affect tribal communities. There is no fee to attend; however, attendees will be responsible for their own travel and lodging.

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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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