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Covering Indian Country – December 2021

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent this bulletin at 12/09/2021 01:30 PM EST

December 2021

Spotlight: Health care coverage for 2022

Conference card shows a Native woman with a young boy and the words, "HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment November 1, 2021 - January 15, 2022"

Enrolling in health care coverage is one of the most important steps people can take to stay well. Help ensure consumers in your community have the coverage they need.

Although the current Marketplace open enrollment period runs through January 15, 2022, CMS encourages everyone to sign up for a Marketplace health care coverage plan by December 15, 2021, to have coverage with an effective date of January 1, 2022.

December 12–18 is American Indians/Alaska Natives/Tribal Week of Action.

Notably, CMS has developed a list of theme weeks (PDF, 85 KB, 2 pp) for this year’s Marketplace open enrollment period. December 12–18 has been designated American Indians/Alaska Natives/Tribal Week of Action. In advance of that week, CMS has developed:

Talking points (PDF, 230 KB, 2 pp) to use when engaging with consumers
A Marketplace open enrollment partner social media toolkit (PDF, 488 KB, 3 pp)
Downloadable materials (PDF, 99 KB, 2 pp) to help consumers navigate the Marketplace open enrollment period

The downloadable materials include a Native American-themed fillable conference card (PDF, 543 KB, 2 pp), a Marketplace application checklist (PDF, 83 KB, 1 p), and more.

December: Health insurance

The December 2021 PSA features a young Native woman. Health insurance: The gift of good medicine. Sign yourself and your loved ones up today. 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.

Soundcloud Audio clips

Youtube Videos

Tweet it

Take charge of your health! Check out open enrollment options now.

https://youtu.be/GciW261DBDo

#CMSNativeHealth

Resources on health care coverage

A collage of 3 resources:
(1) Tribal version of the booklet, From Coverage to Care
(2) 18-month 2022-2023 tribal calendar
(3) "Third Party at Work" poster

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

The tribal version of From Coverage to Care (PDF, 807 KB, 48 pp) explains how to use health care coverage to stay well.
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.
The “Third Party at Work” poster (PDF, 752 KB, 1 p) highlights how health care coverage provides additional funds to support the needs of tribal clinics.

Additional resources

Fact sheet for parents, COVID-19 Vaccines for Children 5-11: What Parents Need to Know

COVID-19 shots for kids

Did you know children ages 5 and up are now eligible to receive Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine?

Children who have received the vaccine are less likely to be hospitalized for severe illness or to spread COVID-19.

To help promote vaccination of children against COVID-19, the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health created a social media toolkit and a fact sheet for parents (PDF, 238 KB, 1 p). Both resources highlight the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.

Culturally sensitive HIV care and sexual assessment

An HIV care and sexual assessment toolkit (PDF, 1.4 MB, 27 pp) for Indian health facilities and urban Indian organization staff is now available.

Developed by Urban Indian Health Institute and Cardea Services, the toolkit complements a 4-module e-learning course that covers the following topics:

Culturally proficient sexual health care for people of all genders and sexual orientations
Sexual health assessment
Talking with patients about HIV
Biomedical prevention of HIV

Strengthening Indigenous food systems

Cover of the report, COVID-19 in Indian Country: A Call to Integrate Food Systems and Food Security Toward Sovereignty

While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains everywhere, it also highlighted tribal communities’ resiliency, as demonstrated by their efforts to strengthen Indigenous food systems.

Examples of those efforts can be found in COVID-19 in Indian Country: A Call to Integrate Food Systems and Food Security Toward Sovereignty (PDF, 10 MB, 24 pp).

Published by First Nations Development Institute, the report highlights opportunities and recommendations to help achieve environmental equity and enhance tribal communities’ access to traditional food sources.

Funding opportunities

AmeriCorps State and National grants

Deadline: January 5, 2022, at 5 pm Eastern

View the AmeriCorps State and National grants funding opportunity

AmeriCorps will award funds to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in the implementation of evidence-based interventions to strengthen communities. Tribes and tribal organizations are encouraged to apply.

Family-to-Family Health Information Centers

Deadline: January 5, 2022
View the Family-to-Family Health Information Centers funding opportunity

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs) Program will fund projects to promote collaboration between health professionals and the families of children and youth with special health care needs. Tribes and tribal organizations are encouraged to apply.

RCORP-Implementation grants

Deadline: January 13, 2022

View the RCORP-Implementation funding opportunity

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Implementation grants are available to strengthen and expand services in rural areas to help prevent, treat, and facilitate recovery from substance use disorder and opioid use disorder.

Approximately 50 grantees will receive up to $1 million 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.

National Tribal Health IT Summit

December 14
Virtual
Register for the National Tribal Health IT Summit

Hosted by the National Indian Health Board, the National Tribal Health Information Technology (IT) Summit will give tribes an opportunity to share their health IT concerns, needs, and priorities as Indian Health Service moves forward with efforts to modernize its health IT system.

Adult Leadership Training

December 14–15
Virtual
Register for the Adult Leadership Training

Hosted by the Native Wellness Institute, the Adult Leadership Training will help participants assess their leadership skills and apply core values of traditional leadership to their work. Topics include conflict resolution, historical trauma and wellness, positive role modeling, and more.

Native Youth Leadership Gathering

December 16–17
Virtual
Register for the Native Youth Leadership Gathering

The Native Wellness Institute will host an event to help Native youth ages 12–18 make positive contributions to their schools, families, and communities. The training will cover topics such as culture and spirituality, healthy lifestyles, the power of positive thinking, and healthy relationships.

Context Clues: Using SDOH to Enhance Treatment

December 16, 1–2 pm Eastern
Virtual
Register for the Context Clues webinar

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). The next webinar in the series will focus on internet access, transportation, and social support.

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 open for registration.

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)

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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