Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Ends March 31, 2023 – Expect Letters from State Medicaid, Update your Contact Information, and Talk to your Tribal Enrollment Assister

State Medicaid programs may soon begin disenrolling individuals they determine to be ineligible for Medicaid coverage because the continuous enrollment requirement ends on March 31, 2023. Since March 2020, continuous enrollment has kept Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in the program regardless of a change in circumstance that would normally deem them ineligible, like a change in income. Continuous Medicaid coverage has allowed people to get much-needed care during the pandemic. When it ends, NIHB estimates that around 236,000 American Indian and Alaska Native individuals are at risk of losing their coverage.

Now, states are permitted to return to normal eligibility and enrollment operations. Medicaid enrollees can expect to receive letters from their state Medicaid program requesting updated contact information, income verification, and other information needed to determine an individual’s current eligibility. Your state may have already initiated this process, as they were permitted to begin eligibility redeterminations last month. We can expect to see folks disenrolled as early as April 1, 2023.

For more information on the Medicaid unwinding process, please visit NIHB’s resource page here. This page includes webinar materials on best practices for enrollment assisters and patient benefit coordinators, FAQs on the unwinding, and customizable graphics for use in reminding folks about Medicaid renewals and the need for updated contact information.

NIHB Resources Page

NEW REPORT: Health Equity in Indian Country: Rethinking How CMS Approaches Health Equity for American Indians and Alaska Natives

In this groundbreaking report, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) presents fundamental Tribal health equity concepts and provides essential guidance to federal agencies working for health equity in Indian Country. This report follows a year of convening Native health leaders from across the country to explore the critical question: “What does health equity mean from a Tribal perspective?” 

The first of its kind, this holistic report lays out an overview of the historical and current drivers of health inequities for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs); discusses the foundational health equity concepts that are both essential and unique to Tribes; and presents recommendations for federal agencies to better support health equity for AI/AN people. This report focuses on recommendations for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), but the core principles around Tribal health equity remain relevant to anyone working towards health equity in Indian Country. The lessons here are also easily applicable to other federal agencies. 

For AI/ANs, discussions around health equity will always revolve around Tribal sovereignty, the federal trust responsibility, and how colonization and U.S. government policies have driven the severe health inequities we are now facing. As the Biden-Harris administration raises health equity to a high government-wide priority, moving forward will require both a nuanced understanding of the unique context of Tribal health equity and a commitment to action.

Read the report here and find additional Tribal health equity resources at nihb.org/health-equity.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Annual Tribal Budget Consultation – Final Planning Call with Tribal Leaders

March 29, 2023 | 3:00PM ET

Virtual

HHS is hosting its last planning call with Tribal Leaders today to contribute to the planning for the Annual Tribal Budget Consultation on April 18-19 in Washington, D.C. The planning call will provide Tribal Leaders an opportunity to share their views and priorities with HHS officials as they formulate the agency’s FY 2025 budget request. You can find more information in the Dear Tribal Leader Letter. Register Here

Save the Date – HHS Annual Regional Tribal Consultations

This summer, HHS will host consultation with Tribes in each of the 10 HHS Regions to discuss programmatic issues and Tribal priorities. Each session will include one-on-one listening opportunities with regional leadership. Most consultation sessions will be in-person, with two regions offering a virtual option. You can find more information in this Dear Tribal Leader Letter.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Tribal Consultation on the Tobacco Product Manufacturing Practice

April 11, 2023 | 2:00 PM ET Virtual

The FDA will host a consultation with Tribes and Tribal Leaders on its proposal to establish tobacco product manufacturing practice requirements for manufacturers of “finished and bulk tobacco products.” These proposed changes are intended to assure greater public health protections and compliance with Chapter IX of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. More information can be found in the Federal Register Notice of Proposed Rule Making. Tribal Leaders are encouraged to submit written comments by September 6, 2023. Register Here

Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) Tribal Support Consultation

April 6, 2023 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET

In-Person and Virtual

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Support Enforcement will consult with Tribes on programmatic, regulatory, and legislative priorities. This is an opportunity to offer insight into Tribal needs and goals for Tribal child support systems. To facilitate the discussion, ACF invites input on discussion questions posed in the Dear Tribal Leader Letter. Tribes can attend in person in Atlantic City, NJ, or virtually. Written comments are requested by May 6, 2023. For more information, see the Dear Tribal Leader Letter.  Register Here