Covering Indian Country October 2017

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Covering Indian Country

October 2017

Spotlight: Sonciray Bonnell

Sonciray Bonnell is leading a tribal and statewide effort to connect American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) to health care. Bonnell, Oregon Health Plan Outreach Manager for the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc. (NARA), and three other outreach teammates will focus outreach efforts on public schools around Portland, OR, that mostly represent AI/AN children. The work is made possible by a $500,000 grant from InsureKidsNow.gov.

Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc., (NARA) staff standing in front of their building. Rachael Hamilton (Outreach Lead), Sonciray Bonnell (Outreach Manager), and Floranda Berglund (Outreach Specialist)

Left to right: NARA outreach teammates Rachael Hamilton, Sonciray Bonnell, and Floranda Berglund

"While some tribes and other health care organizations may already have successful outreach, it is the goal of NARA to help. We are here for them."

— Sonciray Bonnell, NARA

NARA will work with tribal health directors, tribal education managers, Head Start centers, and other partners to identify people without health insurance.

Bonnell and her team plan to target powwows, community events, meetings, and health fairs. “Our main ask of the tribes is being invited to any outreach events,” Bonnell said.

She offered these tips for successful outreach about health coverage:

  • Remain positive and diplomatic
  • Use CMS's Coverage to Care Tribal Brochure (PDF, 800 KB, 48 pp)
  • Share health information with partners and communities via posters

October: Help children stay healthy

Young girl in a witch costume with pumpkins. Coverage is Sweet. Medicaid helps kids stay healthy with: vaccinations, check-ups, dental care. HealthCare.gov Visit Medicaid.gov or Insurekidsnow.gov for more info. Please call 1-800-318-2596 to enroll your child.

Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. Other sizes are available at: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/American-Indian-Alaska-Native/AIAN/Outreach-and-Education/index.html

Public Service Announcements

Share these informational audio clips and videos on your local radio station, website, and Facebook page.

SoundcloudAudio
English Lakota Navajo Ojibwe Yupik Zuni

YoutubeVideo
English Lakota Navajo Ojibwe Yupik Zuni

TwitterTweet it

Coverage is sweet! Medicaid provides #AIAN kids free vaccinations, check-ups, and #dentalcare #CMSNativeHealth

Related flyer

Enroll in Medicaid: For Yourself, for Your Family, for Your Community is a customizable flyer (PDF, 550 KB, 1 p) that explains CHIP and Medicaid eligibility and why individuals and tribes benefit from health care coverage.

Download these materials and other free resources from CMS's Outreach and Education Resources page or order them. Please allow 2 weeks for your order to be completed.

Additional Resources

Georgetown study: Medicaid use highest among AI/AN children

A new study finds American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children rely on Medicaid at higher rates than other racial and ethnic groups. In 2015, 54% of AI/AN children were enrolled in Medicaid, compared to 39% of all children in the United States. Further, Medicaid supports services offered to many AI/AN children by Indian Health Service.

The study, Coverage Trends for American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Families (PDF, 120 KB, 8 pp), is coauthored by Joan Alker with the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families. It is based on 2008–2015 data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

“Medicaid is actually an important pair with Indian Health Service. The IHS relies on Medicaid for reimbursement.”

— Joan Alker, Research Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Children and Families

Joan Alker, Research Professor, Georgetown University

Joan Alker, Research Professor, Georgetown University

Alker says health coverage leads to better health for AI/AN children, increases families’ economic health, and helps offset medical costs. Medicaid’s “welcome mat” effect refers to the increase in child Medicaid enrollment that often occurs when parents become eligible, too. The enrollment of entire families in states with Medicaid expansion may explain how a state like Alaska has one of the highest rates of AI/AN children and adults enrolled in health insurance.

The study also notes that the overall uninsured rate for AI/AN children decreased from 25% to 15% during the study period. Alaska and New Mexico saw the largest decline of uninsured AI/AN children.

Register for CMS Marketplace training

Stay up-to-date on health care reform and AI/AN Marketplace protections, and learn how to provide guidance for consumers.

The 2018 assister training is now available through the CMS Marketplace Learning Management System. For more information on how to complete the training, see the 2018 Assister Training Update (PDF, 100 KB, 1 p).

The curriculum includes:

  • navigator certification
  • re-certification for returning navigators
  • certified application counselor training
  • non-certified navigator training

View the Learning Management System FAQs (PDF, 170 KB, 10 pp) for more information.

Encourage breast cancer screening in October

Woman with binders. October is breast cancer awareness month. When breast cancer is detected early, women's survival rates increase. Get insured and get free breast cancer screening: Mammograms for age 40+, Genetic test counseling, Chemoprevention counseling. Sign up at www.healthcare.gov/tribal or by calling 1-800-318-2596.

Spread the word about the importance of breast cancer screening by sharing this ad.

Calendar of Events

National Congress of American Indians Annual Convention and Marketplace

October 15-20, 2017

Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI
View the agenda and register

For more information, contact NCAI at (202) 466-7767.

Alaska Native Health Research Conference

October 16-18, 2017

Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage, AK

Register

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s conference provides a forum to share current health research projects within Alaska Native communities. The pre-conference workshop provides research ethics training with a focus on research review across Alaska tribal health organizations.

2017 Novitas Indian Health Service Workshops

October 26, 2017

Judge Jameson Federal Building, Billings, MT

Novitas Solutions, Inc., will conduct workshops for patient benefits and billing staff working in Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities and programs. The sessions will focus on Medicare topics, including enrollment requirements, patient screening tools, billing guidelines, and Medicare updates. The workshops will offer focused overviews of Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) services that are referenced in the IHS Training Manual. Learn more.

To sign up, contact Gail Atnip at gail.atnip@novitas-solutions.com or (443) 791-1119.

CMS Tribal Technical Advisory Group

November 1-2, 2017

National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC

This face-to-face meeting for advisory group members runs from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on the first day, and from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. on the second day.

CMS ITU Training

November 14-16, 2017

Phoenix, AZ

Learn more and register

This training for business staff, benefits coordinators, medical records staff, and patient registration staff will cover CMS Tribal Affairs updates, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, the Health Insurance Marketplace, state-administered programs, Social Security, and Veterans Affairs. The third day, hosted by IHS, will focus on how to maximize access to third party resources and improve access to quality health care.

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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 insurance.


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