NEWS & VIEWS

March 13, 2025

CMS’ 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new rule changing the enrollment procedures for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplaces.

Major provisions of the proposed rule, which would likely mean lower enrollment in the Marketplace overall, include:

• Ending the availability of the monthly special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals with household incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL).
• Shortening the annual Open Enrollment Period for individual market coverage offered through the ACA Marketplaces by ending it on December 15. (Currently, Open Enrollment is through January 15.)

In addition,

• CMS proposes a policy that would add sex-trait modification to the list of items and services that may not be covered as essential health benefits beginning in plan year 2026.
• The proposed rule would also revert to a previous definition of “lawfully present” that excludes Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients for purposes of enrolling in Marketplace coverage.

View the 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule (CMS-9884-P) here.

Federal Budget

FY 2025 Continuing Resolution

Congress has until midnight on Friday, March 14 to avert a partial government shutdown by passing a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding. The continuing resolution would fund the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2025. This bill does not impact mandatory spending for Social Security, Medicaid, or Medicare. 

FY 2026 Reconciliation

The House and Senate are working on the fiscal year 2026 budget using a process called "reconciliation", which sets the framework that committees use to create their sections of the budget. The House and Senate must pass identical budget reconciliation bills to move forward. This legislation could, and likely will, affect Medicaid spending.

Rescission of Guidance on Health-Related Social Needs

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an informational bulletin on March 4, 2025 rescinding previous guidance related to Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN). "CMS will consider states' applications to cover these services and supports on a case-by-case basis," said the release.

Nominate a School Health Champion

Nominations for the Governor & Cheri Daniels School Health Award, to be presented at the 2025 ISHN Conference, are now being accepted.

This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated leadership and dedication to promoting school health and wellness activities in Indiana schools.

ISHN Conference Sponsorship Opportunity

Sponsorship levels and associated benefits can be found in the Sponsorship Prospectus below.

Submission deadline is April 1, 2025.

Call for Exhibitors is Open

Conference attendance is expected to be over 600 professionals including but not limited to: educators and school administrators, nurses and other healthcare professionals, social workers, outreach and enrollment specialists, managed care professionals, child health advocates, early childhood professionals, and government program partners. The information and resources that exhibitors provide are an integral part of the overall success of the conference.

Reserve your booth now - space is limited!

Rural Outreach

Rural residents in the US are more likely to be uninsured, live further from health care providers, and have fewer or no public transportation options. They also experience disparities in health outcomes. When conducting rural outreach, you may experience mistrust of the health care system and public health.

A We Heart Health Literacy blog offers a list of tips for creating health communications for people in rural communities. These tips can apply to rural outreach in general.

• Team up with trusted partners who your audience knows and trusts.
• Do your homework and learn what resources are available locally.
• Be careful of implicit bias. Not all rural communities are the same.

Public Views on Medicaid

A February health tracking poll by KFF, measured public views on the importance of Medicaid and Medicaid spending. One of the findings was that most people are unaware that the majority of working age adults on Medicaid are employed. 

Eligibility for Public Benefits

Indiana Justice Project created flyers giving an overview of immigrant eligibility for federal benefit programs as well as specific information on food program rights for immigrants. The flyers are available in multiple languages.

Social Security to Reinstate Overpayment Recovery Rate

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced it will increase the default overpayment withholding rate for Social Security beneficiaries to 100 percent of a person’s monthly benefit. As of March 27, the agency will begin mailing notices about the new 100 percent withholding rate, rather than the recent adjustment of just 10 percent. The withholding rate change applies to new overpayments related to Social Security benefits. The withholding rate for current beneficiaries with an overpayment before March 27th will not change and no action is required. The withholding rate for Supplemental Security Income overpayments remains 10 percent.

Healthy Spaces Happy Children

Next month, Improving Kids' Environment (IKE) and the Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) will release an exciting announcement regarding IKE’s Healthy Spaces, Happy Children program. The program takes place in targeted communities throughout the state to increase the number of asthma-friendly childcare centers available to Hoosier families. 

Sign up for HEC's newsletter here to stay up to date on Healthy Spaces Happy Children.

Medicaid and SUD

Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s brief, How Medicaid Helps People with Substance Use Disorders (SUD), discusses Medicaid’s important role.

• Medicaid has been critical in the opioid crisis response.
• Medicaid expansion and Marketplace have filled a persistent gap in coverage for adults increasing access to substance use services.
• Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treat (EPSDT) improves early prevention and intervention for children and youth.
• Medicaid coverage of SUD saves taxpayer money.

Healthy Emerging Adult Leaders Program

The Indiana Immunization Coalition is looking for teens, 16-19 years old, to join their Healthy Emerging Adult Leaders program! Participants will learn about health careers, community resources, the healthcare system, health advocacy, and how to identify health misinformation. At the end of the program, participants will help design a public health campaign for their peers!

Space is limited, so apply today! bit.ly/2025heal

ACT Now Youth Tobacco Cessation Training

The ACT Now Youth Tobacco Cessation Training is a free webinar hosted by the American Academy of Pediatrics for school health personnel. It focuses on adapting the "Ask – Counsel – Treat" cessation model for school settings. The training will cover motivational interviewing techniques, strategies for connecting students with tobacco cessation resources, and insights from a local pediatrician. The sessions are scheduled for different regions:

• March 24, 2025 – Central Region (1pm ET)
• April 2, 2025 – South Region (1pm ET)
• April 15, 2025 – North Region (12pm ET)

Each session lasts 60 minutes. To register, participants can email Kelsey Back at kb@inaap.org.

Indiana University Free Courses

Indiana University’s Public Health and You offers twelve free courses on a variety of topics including, Access to Care in Rural Communities, Administering Intramuscular Naloxone, Close to Home: Human Trafficking in Indiana, and a Professional Development Certificate in Public Health.

How Does Vaping Nicotine Affect Sleep?

Research suggests that nicotine use can affect mental and physical health by interfering with sleep. Sleep problems can include insufficient sleep, interrupted sleep, restlessness during sleep, nightmares, and daytime sleepiness. Sleep is essential for young people’s brain development and mental health, with research finding an association between poor sleep quality and negative mental health.

Connect with CKF

Tobacco Prevention & Cessation program on social media!

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