Covering Indian Country – November 2022

November 2022

Spotlight: Marketplace and Medicare open enrollment

Having affordable health care coverage makes it easier for people to keep up with screenings, check-ups, immunizations, and other preventive services.

It also enhances the capacity of the Indian Health Service, tribal programs, and urban Indian programs to provide care.

Now that open enrollment is underway, please remind people in your community that December 15 is the deadline to sign up for a Marketplace plan that starts January 1.

While tribal citizens can enroll year-round, open enrollment is a great opportunity to let people know that special protections are available to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) who are enrolled in the Marketplace.

These protections are explained in CMS’s updated tribal version of Roadmap to Better Care (PDF, 782 KB, 24 pp).

December 15 is the deadline to sign up for a Marketplace plan
that starts January 1.

To hear about updates on Marketplace open enrollment for tribal communities, join the CMS Division of Tribal Affairs for an All Tribes Consultation Webinar November 15, from 3:30–4:30 p.m. Eastern. The webinar will highlight policy changes in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It will also include discussion of tribal sponsorship of premium payments to qualified health plans.

Additionally, register for one of the upcoming Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Stakeholder Webinars, which will provide you with critical information and resources to help consumers navigate open enrollment. Refer to this newsletter’s calendar of events for more information.

Remember: Medicare open enrollment ends December 7. Please be prepared to answer elders’ questions about coverage. To learn more about Medicare coverage options and how to get the most out of the services offered, download the Medicare and You handbook (PDF, 3.4 MB, 128 pp).

And for information about a Medicaid program designed to help AI/ANs pay Medicare costs, download and share CMS’s Medicare Savings Programs brochure (PDF, 516 KB, 2 pp).

November: Open enrollment

Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. For more information, please visit CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page.

Health observances

November is American Diabetes Month

The Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Diabetes Translation Research (CAIANDTR) at Colorado School of Public Health provides resources to improve prevention and treatment of diabetes in Native communities.

In observance of American Diabetes Month, share the links to recordings of CAIANDTR’s previously recorded webinars. The four most recent webinars cover the following topics:

• Gestational diabetes and breastfeeding patterns among Native women
• Nutrition education for Native people with type 2 diabetes
• Lessons learned from a Navajo Nation produce prescription program
• AI/AN resilience and opportunities for improved health among people with diabetes during the pandemic

National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, an ideal time to share culturally appropriate flyers listing 10 signs of thinking or memory changes that might be dementia symptoms. Available on the International Association for Indigenous Aging website, the flyers highlight the importance of early diagnosis. They also encourage people with one or more of the 10 signs to talk with their doctor, who can help determine whether dementia is causing their brain health issues.

Great American Smokeout: November 17

Held each year on the third Thursday of November, the Great American Smokeout encourages people to quit using cigarettes and other commercial tobacco products for at least 24 hours.

In the days leading up to November 17, share the link to the American Indian Commercial Tobacco Program (AICTP) website, which:

• Includes success stories and interactive tools that highlight the benefits of quitting
• Describes medications that can help manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms

People who enroll in AICTP may opt to work with an American Indian coach over the phone and receive additional support via email, text, or instant message. Coaching is free and confidential.

Additional resources

Fact sheet about monkeypox

Monkeypox is a vaccine-preventable disease that can cause serious illness.

Help keep your community healthy by downloading and sharing Monkeypox: What You Need to Know. Available on the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health website, the fact sheet:

• Lists common monkeypox symptoms
• Explains how the disease is spread
• Provides tips for staying safe

Funding opportunities

HRSA’s Preventive Medicine Residency Program

Deadline: November 21
View HRSA’s Preventive Medicine Residency Program funding opportunity

The Preventive Medicine Residency Program improves the health of rural and medically underserved communities by:

• Preparing preventive medicine residents to address social determinants of health, low health literacy, and health disparities
• Recruiting and retaining a more diverse population of preventive medicine residents and faculty

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will award up to 16 grants of up to $400,000 each for a four-year performance period. Tribal health departments are encouraged to apply.

Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy

Deadline: December 1
View the Commonwealth Fund funding opportunity

The Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy prepares physicians to transform health care delivery systems and address social determinants of health. Fellows will complete academic work leading to a master of public health or master of public administration degree at Harvard University.

Up to five fellowships will be awarded. Physicians from groups underrepresented in medicine are encouraged to apply.

Calendar of events