Covering Indian Country – October 2022

October 2022

Spotlight: Outreach to Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries

When the COVID-19 public health emergency ends, states will resume routine operations, which include eligibility terminations. The process of reviewing the eligibility of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees is often referred to as "unwinding."

To ensure a smooth "unwinding" process, states will need to contact the beneficiaries for completion of eligibility renewals. In many cases, limited postal delivery and broadband service make it challenging for states to reach American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) beneficiaries who live on tribal lands. For that reason, Indian health care providers (IHCPs) play a key role in connecting with and retaining AI/AN beneficiaries.

IHCPs play a key role in connecting with and retaining
AI/AN Medicaid beneficiaries.

Accordingly, CMS has urged states to engage with tribes and IHCPs to:

• Discuss unwinding activities at tribal/state meetings
• Share implementation plans and seek tribal input
• Collaborate on outreach to Medicaid or CHIP enrollees to remind them to update their contact information and complete their renewals

CMS also encourages states to share monthly enrollment and renewal data with IHCPs consistent with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Medicaid confidentiality safeguards. Additionally, CMS recommends that states leverage the updated communications toolkit, Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding (PDF, 1.7 MB, 15 pp), which now includes tailored resources to support outreach to AI/AN Medicaid beneficiaries.

In the meantime, tribes and tribal organizations may find it helpful to download the Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee’s recent brief (PDF, 342 KB, 2 pp) for an overview of federal guidance on Medicaid and CHIP eligibility and enrollment procedures.

October: Domestic violence

Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. Other sizes are available on CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page.

Health observances

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

This year, the theme of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is #Every1KnowsSome1. The theme is intended to highlight how common domestic violence is and increase awareness of tactics that abusive partners may use in addition to physical violence.

For more information about those tactics, download Intimate Partner Violence: Unnatural Power and Control Descriptions (PDF, 121 KB, 4 pp). Published by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, the brochure:

• Explains how intimate partner violence differs from dysfunctional or unhealthy relationships
• Describes how abusive partners intimidate, isolate, or blame their victims
• Lists actions that fall into the categories of emotional, economic, ritual, and cultural abuse

Breast cancer screening

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this year Indigenous Pink Day falls on October 20. Both observances highlight the importance of breast cancer screening.

When breast cancer is found early, treatment is more likely to be successful. Help promote breast cancer screening for Native women, men, and non-binary or gender-fluid people by:

• Sharing the American Indian Cancer Foundation’s Indigenous Pink Social Media Toolkit (PDF, 374 KB, 2 pp)
• Reminding people that mammography is an essential health benefit

Additional resources

NNED webinar on community needs assessments

The latest installment in the Elevate CBOs webinar series is now available on the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED) website.

Titled Community Needs Assessments, the webinar is intended for NNED members and community-based organization (CBO) staff.

Previous webinars in the Elevate CBOs series cover the topics of budgets, grants, and data and are also posted on the NNED website.

Funding opportunities

National Tribal Broadband Grant

Deadline: October 17, at 5 p.m. Eastern
View the National Tribal Broadband funding opportunity

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is offering grants to hire consultants who will conduct feasibility studies for deployment or expansion of high-speed internet.

Approximately 15–27 grants of up to $175,000 each will be awarded for a two-year performance period. Federally recognized tribes are encouraged to apply.

Native Agriculture and Food Systems Scholarships

Deadline: October 18
View the Native Agriculture and Food Systems funding opportunity

First Nations Development Institute is offering 20–25 scholarships for the current academic year to Native undergraduate or graduate students who are majoring in agriculture and agriculture-related fields.

Applicants must provide proof of tribal affiliation and demonstrate a commitment to helping their community reclaim control of the local food system.

Support for 988 Tribal Response

Deadline: October 25
View the Support for 988 Tribal Response funding opportunity

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, also known as 988, provides direct round-the-clock access to trained crisis counselors. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will provide funds to:

• Make sure American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have access to culturally competent trained 988 crisis center support
• Improve integration and support of 988 crisis centers, tribal nations, and tribal organizations
• Facilitate collaboration between tribal, state, and territory health providers; urban Indian organizations; and first responders in a way that respects tribal sovereignty

Up to 100 cooperative agreements will be awarded for a two-year performance period. Tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations are eligible to apply.

Barclay-Giel Seed Grants

Deadline: November 3, at 8 p.m. Eastern
View the Barclay-Giel funding opportunity

The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health is offering grants to support community-based public health programs.

Approximately 15–20 grants of up to $10,000 each will be awarded for a one-year performance period. Tribes and tribal organizations are encouraged to apply.

Calendar of events