LTSS Newsletter—December 2021

Community Health Profiles: disability prevalence in UIO service areas

In their new Community Health Profiles, Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) looked at the rate of disability among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in urban Indian organization (UIO) service areas.

In comparison to non-Hispanic White populations, AI/AN populations experienced higher rates of disability in every age group, especially for elders age 65 and older.

Key data findings are listed below:

• Age 65+ – Nearly half of the AI/AN participants (46%) reported having a disability
• Age 18–64 – 15.5% of the AI/AN participants reported having a disability
• Under age 18 – 4.7% of the AI/AN participants reported having a disability

The Disability Status profile emphasizes the point that “understanding of disability varies across Indigenous cultures,” (p. 16). For guidance to continue to provide care to this population, check out the CMS LTSS TA Center resources for AI/ANs with disabilities above in the article, Benefits of HCBS for people with disabilities.

USAging holiday 2021 webinar and recording archive

USAging, formerly known as the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, has an archive of Hot Topics in Aging webinars to enhance professional and program development efforts.

Home for the Holidays: Healthy Aging in a Pandemic World is a webinar that reviews the Home for the Holidays campaign, developed to help organizations serving older adults educate elders and caregivers in their communities about staying safe and healthy during the winter holidays.

FDA and CDC expand eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots

FDA and CDC expanded eligibility for COVID-19 booster doses of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. Now, anyone age 16 and older can get a single booster dose if they have completed the primary, FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccination.

In October, the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) hosted the Messengers in Health Community webinar, Protecting Our Elders, to support provider vaccine awareness and education. The presenters identify ways to effectively communicate with urban Indian elders, share strategies to help improve trust between urban Indian elders and health care providers, and discuss elder care and vaccinations.

CMS releases FY2021 report on rural health initiatives

Rural communities face unique challenges, particularly in disadvantaged communities. In response, CMS deployed an innovative Rural Health Strategy.

Their FY 2021 year in review (PDF, 6.65 MB, 38 pp) examines programs, policies, and outreach CMS used to improve outcomes in rural areas, including in-depth discussions on:

• Promoting COVID-19 vaccine administration
• Providing extended postpartum coverage
• Completing the first national analysis on why rural patients may choose to bypass their local hospital

Additionally, the report shares CMS’s work on Medicare payments, LTSS, equity in health care, and other topics central to their long-term strategy.

CMS completes nationwide study on rural bypass

One major obstacle to effective rural health care is rural health care bypass—patients pass by local facilities and go to outside care.

Rural bypass creates financial challenges for rural health care providers, results in health care provider shortages, and may cause facilities to close. To better understand these issues, CMS recently completed a groundbreaking study on rural hospital bypass (PDF, 673 KB, 30 pp). The study primarily addresses:

• To what extent are outpatient and inpatient service bypass associated?
• What characteristics are associated with outpatient bypass?
• How do critical access hospitals and rural prospective payment system hospitals differ in how they use outpatient services?

The report is based on a broad range of Medicare data and insights from listening sessions.

Toolkit launched for combating health misinformation

Health misinformation makes it much harder for patients to make informed decisions about their health. The CMS Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) has released a toolkit to help people identify health misinformation (PDF, 2.7 MB, 22 pp), offering tips on how to help people identify misinformation.

Along with a series of practice exercises, the toolkit provides 5 questions to help people learn what may be health misinformation:

• Did you check the information with the CDC or local public health department?
• Did you ask a health care professional about it?
• Did you look to see if a credible source has verified the claim?
• Did you look to see if the website is trustworthy?

OSG offers the reminder: If you’re not sure, don’t share it. Find the toolkit and infographic on the CMS OSG webpage.

IHS behavioral health funding

The Indian Health Service has announced $46.4 million in funding opportunities for organizations providing behavioral health services to tribal populations.

Application deadline for all 6 funding opportunities: February 2, 2022

Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Aftercare

Learn more about the Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Aftercare funding

Programs reduce the prevalence of substance abuse and decrease the overall use of addicting and illicit substances among tribal populations. Grantees will receive between $300,000–$400,000.

Behavioral Health Integration Initiative

Learn more about the Behavioral Health Integration Initiative

Programs will integrate behavioral health care with primary care, diabetes care, or other types of care. Grantees will receive between $300,000–$400,000.

Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention

Learn more about the Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention funding

Programs will reduce rates of death by suicide among tribal populations. Grantees will receive between $300,000–$400,000.

Zero Suicide Initiative

Learn more about the Zero Suicide Initiative

This opportunity is for programs improving care offered to American Indian and Alaska Native people at risk of suicide. Awards range from $200,000–$300,000.

Domestic Violence Prevention

Learn more about the Domestic Violence Prevention funding

This opportunity supports the development and implementation of programming that combats domestic and sexual violence, particularly evidence-based and practice-based models. Grantees will receive between $100,000–$200,000.

Forensic Healthcare

Learn more about the Forensic Healthcare opportunity

Programs will provide culturally competent, trauma-informed care to American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic or sexual violence. Grantees will receive $250,000.

John Hopkins Center for American Indian Health 2022 Virtual Winter Institute

The John Hopkins Center for American Indian Health (JHCAIH) announced the 2022 Virtual Winter Institute. JHCAIH offers courses during the intercession in January at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The course registration deadline is December 29, 2021. View the JHCAIH Winter Institute flyer (PDF, 1.82 MB, 1 p).

• January 10–14, 11 am–3:30 pm eastern: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding the Health of American Indians
• January 18–21, 12–5 pm eastern: American Indian Health Policy