Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

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Covering Indian Country – August 2023

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent this bulletin at 08/08/2023 09:00 AM EDT

August 2023

Spotlight: Getting everyone caught up on routine vaccines

Cover of tribal version of Roadmap to Better Care

According to Government Performance and Results Act summary reports on the IHS website, the percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native adults who are up to date on routine immunizations has declined since 2018.

Routine immunizations help people of all ages stay healthy. That’s why outreach to help get everyone caught up on their vaccines is so important.

Urge adults in your community to talk with a health care professional about which vaccines are right for them.

As families focus on preparing to send children back to school, please urge adults in your community to talk with a health care professional about which vaccines are right for them.

Additionally, remind families that Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Marketplace plans cover immunizations as preventive health services.

For more information about how preventive care promotes wellness, download the tribal version of Roadmap to Better Care (PDF, 782 KB, 24 pp).

August: Back to school

Drop-in ad features a youth wearing a backpack and the words, "Give kids their best shot at a healthy school year. Make sure their vaccinations are up to date."

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.

Soundcloud Audio clips

Youtube Videos

Tweet it

Give kids their best shot at wellness. Update their vaccinations before school starts.

https://youtu.be/ZzfJFne6j8Y

#CMSNativeHealth

Brochures and other resources

A collage of three resources: (1) Medicare Savings Programs brochure (2) 18-month 2023-2024 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.

The Medicare Savings Programs brochure (PDF, 516 KB, 2 pp) encourages Native people to apply for help with Medicare costs.
The 18-month July 2023–December 2024 calendar (PDF, 6.7 MB, 44 pp) features resources to help families take steps toward better control of their health.
The CMS Programs at a Glance brochure (PDF, 1.1 MB, 2 pp) reviews health care coverage options and benefits specific to Native people.

Health observances

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

Bandage folded into a heart shape and the words "National Immunization Awareness Month"

Kids who are up to date on their immunizations are less likely to miss school because of illness.

However, the number of kindergartners vaccinated against measles, whooping cough, and polio has dropped during the past two school years.

Help kids stay healthy by encouraging parents and other caregivers to add routine childhood vaccinations to their back-to-school checklists.

Also, remind families that vaccinations are covered as preventive health services.

Opioid Misuse Prevention Day: August 31

Front cover of Indigenous evaluation toolkit

As Opioid Misuse Prevention Day approaches, consider sharing an Indigenous evaluation toolkit for tribal public health professionals.

Produced by Seven Directions at the University of Washington, the toolkit includes step-by-step guidance, worksheets, and concrete examples to support evaluation of opioid use disorder programs.

Additional resources

NIHB offers air purifiers to tribes

Federally recognized tribes with proof of a wildfire disaster declaration may request air purifiers from the National Indian Health Board (NIHB). Request forms will be accepted until September 30, 2024.

The air purifiers will be provided at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis for use in schools, community centers, homes, and other settings.

Tribes that purchased air purifiers in response to a wildfire disaster declared between June 1, 2022, and June 1, 2023, may be eligible for reimbursement from NIHB.

Stop Syphilis campaign

Poster to promote syphilis testing reads, "We are powerful when we are healthy. Know your syphilis status?"

A syphilis epidemic is currently affecting American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can be cured when it is caught early. Left untreated, it can lead to cancer or blindness. And a pregnant person can pass syphilis to their unborn baby, resulting in permanent damage to the baby’s brain and other organs.

Help stop the spread of syphilis in Indian Country by sharing posters, handouts, and other materials from the AI/AN-specific Stop Syphilis campaign.

Also, read a recent Dear Tribal Leader Letter (PDF, 340 KB, 2 pp) to learn how IHS, tribal, and urban Indian organization program staff can address syphilis.

Funding opportunities

HRSA’s Service Area Competition-Additional Area

Deadline: August 21
View HRSA’s Service Area Competition funding opportunity

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funds are available to support continued access to culturally competent primary care in medically underserved communities.

One grant will be awarded for a performance period of three years or less. Tribes and tribal organizations are encouraged to apply.

HUD’s community development grants

Deadline: September 5
View HUD’s community development funding opportunity

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Indian Community Development Block Grant program helps tribes and Alaska Native villages create suitable living environments and economic opportunities. The grants may be used for infrastructure, health care facilities, and more.

HUD expects to award 80 grants for a performance period of five years or less.

Calendar of events

National Tribal Opioid Summit

August 22–24
Tulalip, Washington
Register by August 15 for the National Tribal Opioid Summit

The National Tribal Opioid Summit is an opportunity for tribal leaders, front-line care providers, and community members to discuss solutions to the fentanyl crisis. Summit tracks include culturally specific prevention initiatives; culturally specific care, treatment, and support services; tribal data; and law and justice.

Indian Health Service webinars

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

Behavioral health integration webinar series, 12 p.m. Eastern
August 24: Cultivating the New Generation of Integrated Care Champions
September 14: One Size Does Not Fit All: The Differences in Integrated Care Implementation
October 12: Diabetes Motivational Interviewing in Integrated Care Settings

IHS/Indigenous Health Special Interest Group webinar, 12 p.m. Eastern
August 28: Motivational Interviewing & Pediatric Obesity: Empowering Your Patients and Families to Make Healthy Changes

51st AAIP Annual Meeting and Health Conference

September 7–10
San Diego, California
Register for AAIP’s Annual Meeting and Health Conference

August 16 is the deadline for early bird registration to attend this year’s Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) Annual Meeting and Health Conference. The conference theme is “Nation Building for the Next 50 Years: Empowering and Transforming Native Health and Healers.”

6th Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition

September 10–12
Prior Lake, Minnesota
Register for the 6th Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition

“Resurgence of Indigenous Foodways” is the theme of this year’s Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition. Sessions will cover topics such as food and nutrition policy, model tribal programs, and Indigenous perspectives on food’s role in health and well-being.

Tribal Health Equity Data Symposium

September 25–26
Washington, DC
Register for the Tribal Health Equity Data Symposium

Hosted by National Indian Health Board, the Tribal Health Equity Data Symposium will explore changes in data law, policy, systems, and practices that would better support health equity for Native people. The symposium will cover data access, race/ethnicity standards, culturally centered data reporting, and more.

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.

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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