CHAD Connection November 2, 2023

Open Enrollment is Here!
November 1 began open enrollment on the Health Insurance Marketplace at Healthcare.gov, making quality coverage accessible to more Americans who are without affordable, comprehensive insurance through an employer, Medicare, or Medicaid. This open enrollment period runs until January 15, 2024, in both North Dakota and South Dakota. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, tax credits and financial assistance are available to help reduce premium costs. In fact, four out of five consumers will be able to find plans for $10 or less per month after tax credits.

With open enrollment being a critical time for health centers to support consumers in accessing affordable coverage, CHAD has produced a variety of marketing materials for members in both states to utilize, including sample social media posts and flyers. If you have not received these but would like to, please contact shannon@communityhealthcare.net.

In South Dakota, CHAD leads the Get Covered South Dakota Collaborative which includes Complete Health, Falls Community Health, the Helpline Center, Horizon Health Care, South Dakota Urban Indian Health, and Western South Dakota Community Action. The Collaborative is actively working to connect all interested and eligible consumers to plans that meet their needs and fit their budget. Ready to enroll eligible persons in comprehensive health coverage, CHAD and the Get Covered Collaborative are hopeful that more people than ever will get connected to health insurance during this open enrollment period.

To prepare for open enrollment, CHAD recently hosted a workshop for Get Covered Collaborative partners and navigators – individuals trained to assist consumers in understanding and enrolling in Marketplace insurance. From October 17-19, thirty individuals who work in communities across South Dakota gathered in Sioux Falls to review Marketplace Health Plans, gain tools for communicating with diverse audiences, learn strategies for engaging with consumers at outreach events, and practice working through complex consumer scenarios. Sessions were facilitated by subject matter experts with a passion for advancing health access and equity.

For assistance exploring health insurance options, consumers in South Dakota can visit www.GetCoveredSouthDakota.org or dial 2-1-1 to connect with a navigator. In North Dakota, navigators can be reached by calling 1-800-233-1737 or emailing NDNavigators@MinotStateu.edu. DIYers in both states can head to HealthCare.gov to look at their options. Those who enroll in a Marketplace plan by December 15, 2023, will have a coverage effective date of January 1, 2024 and those enrolled between December 16 and January 15 will have coverage beginning February 1, 2024.

Senior marketing communications director with the American Heart Association of SD Chrissy Meyer and Carly Uthe, the Communications Director with South Dakota Urban Indian Health discuss open enrollment for Medicaid.

CHAD’s health insurance navigator program was referenced in a South Dakota Searchlight article about Medicaid expansion enrollments.

CHAD Outreach and Enrollment Services Program Manager Penny Kelley was quoted in a Dakota News Now story about the new Medicaid Expansion.

Dr. Marts of Horizon Health Care was interviewed in this podcast episode of The Mount Rushmore State of Health.

Dr. Matthew Eaton, Dental Director for Family HealthCare, was quoted in a Fargo Forum article about the health center’s $200,000 grant award from the Otto Bremer Trust.

Complete Health CEO Tim Trithart was quoted in Rapid City Journal article celebrating the health center’s new name and rebranding.

SDUIH announced on their Facebook page some events they will be holding to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

Congratulations to Complete Health (formerly Community Health Center of the Black Hills) on the launch of their new name and rebranding!

CEO Tim Trithart reflects on the name change: “During the heat of the pandemic, it really crystallized in my eyes how much we’ve evolved as an organization – and how the community health model is so much more than just a simple medical appointment. We bridge gaps for everyone, taking into account the complete picture of everyone who walks through our doors. We’re about taking a complete approach – be that helping with finding more affordable medications, getting someone a ride to see their dentist, or making warm handoffs so that everyone can live life well - regardless of income, ethnicity, insurance status, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else.”

The health center hosted an open house and ribbon cutting to celebrate its rebranding and new name.

In a letter to state health officials, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reinforced that states must provide 12 months of continuous coverage for children under the age of 19 on Medicaid and on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beginning January 1, 2024. "This important action will ensure children have access to the preventative and primary care they need to be healthy and thrive,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a recent press release. This upcoming change affects all states, including SD and ND, and goes into effect January 1, 2024. The full press release is available here.

CHAD is pleased to welcome Liz Schenkel as Navigator Project Manager. In this role, Liz will oversee several aspects of the Federal Navigator Cooperative Agreement for South Dakota, including outreach and enrollment goals. This will include providing support to certified Navigators in South Dakota and building connections with community partners.

Prior to joining CHAD, Liz completed her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis with a concentration in Social Impact Leadership and a specialization in Policy. During her graduate studies, Liz engaged in health equity advocacy work, policy drafting, and research with a focus on rural health equity dynamics. Before obtaining her MSW, Liz worked as the Rural Outreach Coordinator at a non-profit dedicated to extinguishing interpersonal violence. In that role, she provided community education and training, built partnerships with stakeholders, worked directly with survivors, consulted with universities regarding their Title IX policies, and managed a variety of grant funds.

Liz lives in Tea, South Dakota with her husband and two dogs. She enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, paddleboarding, and reading non-fiction.

CHAD has launched the first edition of the Care Connection: Navigating HIV, STIs, and Viral Hepatitis Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment in Primary Care.

This new bi-monthly publication will feature new recommendations for sexual health services, best practices for improving patient health outcomes, highlight stories from the field, describe current epidemiologic trends, and so much more. We’ll highlight tools and resources for the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV, STIs, and Viral Hepatitis.

Health centers rely on federal funding to fulfill their mission of providing high-quality primary and preventive care to all individuals, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Fortunately, the community health center movement has enjoyed 50 years of strong bipartisan support. Today, despite a divided Congress, that bipartisan consensus remains very strong for health centers. It is crucial that Members of Congress continue to hear from health centers and that they understand the need for increased health center funding as they work to pass a budget. 

The current continuing resolution expires November 17, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has proposed another continuing resolution through either mid-January or mid-April. This is a critical time to contact your Members of Congress and express the importance of reliable funding for your health center. Key asks of Members of Congress should include:

1) Ensure that health centers are included in the next Continuing Resolution;

2) Emphasize that health centers need a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on long-term funding as soon as possible; and

3) Describe what your health center could do with additional funding. 

There are a variety of ways to get engaged in advocacy during these critical next few weeks:

Call or email your Members of Congress
Sign up to receive action alerts from NACHC
Post your support to social media and tag your Members of Congress.

CHAD has produced materials to support your advocacy efforts this Fall. This includes contact information for Members of Congress, sample social media posts, talking points, and more. These have been shared with CHAD’s Health Center Advocacy Action Team, but if you have not received these items and would like to, please contact James Craig at jcraig@communityhealthcare.net. 

November is Native American Heritage Month (NAHM), and South Dakota Urban Indian Health has a variety of celebration events planned. The health centers describe the month as, “a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, contributions, and histories of Indigenous people,” and, “an opportunity to educate non-Native relatives about the present-day challenges Indigenous people face and how we can work together towards reconciliation and a bright future for Indigenous youth.” Check out the health center’s website for a full event list, or follow along on social media.

Health Care Business Email Compromise Attacks Increase in 2023
Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks in the health care sector have seen a 279% increase this year, according to a new report by Abnormal Security. The report also found that the average financial loss per BEC attack is $125,000.

BEC attacks are a type of email phishing attack in which the attacker impersonates a trusted person or organization to trick the recipient into sending money or sensitive information. BEC attacks are particularly dangerous because they are often text-based, sent from legitimate domains, and lack typical indicators of compromise.

The Abnormal Security report includes an example of a BEC attack against a health care network. In the attack, the attacker impersonated the president and CEO of the network and requested updated aging statements for customers, including email addresses for the account payables department. Responding to such an email could result in the attacker gaining access to critical financial information and potentially diverting payments, causing substantial losses to the health care network.

Advice for health care organizations:

Educate employees about BEC attacks and how to identify them.
Implement a cloud email security solution that can detect and block BEC attacks.
Regularly review and update cybersecurity policies and procedures.

Health care organizations should be prepared for a continued increase in email attacks over the holiday seasons, Abnormal Security warned. The company recommends that health care organizations embrace sophisticated cloud email security to dramatically improve their cybersecurity practices.

Uniform Data System (UDS) Training
Join CHAD for the 2023 Uniform Data System (UDS) training sessions on November 14 and November 16. These free virtual trainings are designed to provide assistance navigating and preparing the 2023 UDS report. This training is for people of all levels of prior UDS experience and covers all aspects of the UDS report. All financial, clinical, and administrative staff are invited to learn updates, hone reporting skills, and share questions and experiences with their peers.

November 14, 1:00 – 4:15 CT / 12:00 – 3:15 MT
The first session will allow participants to gain an understanding of the UDS reporting process, review key materials, and a walk-through of the patient demographic and staffing tables 3A, 3B, 4, and 5.

November 16, 1:00 – 4:15 CT / 12:00 – 3:15 MT
The presenter will cover the clinical and financial information required on tables 6A, 6B, 7, 8A, 9D, and 9E in addition to the forms (Health Information Technology, Other Data Elements, and Workforce Training) during the second session. The presenter will also share valuable tips for success in completing the UDS report.

Register here

Azara MAP Learning Series
Are your patients’ blood pressure control rates plateauing or trending in the wrong direction? If so, this is the learning series for you.

AMA MAP™ BP is a leading evidence-based quality improvement (QI) program that provides a clear path to significant, sustained improvements in blood pressure (BP) control.

Join our co-hosted AMA MAPTM Learning Series! We intend to empower care teams to leverage the components of the program, aligned with complimentary workflows available in DRVS to produce improved BP control for the population that you serve.

AMA MAP BP Overview

Describe how the AMA MAP™ BP metric bundle can be used to guide improvement in blood pressure control
Demonstrate DRVS functionality that can assist in managing your hypertensive population

Thursday, November 2
1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT
Register here

Act Rapidly

Identify how using a medication treatment protocol supports prescribers as they manage patients with hypertension.
Integrate the use of DRVS to enable prescribers to produce measurable treatment results for their patients.

Thursday, November 16
1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT
Register here

Measure Accurately & Partner with Patients

Identify how the AMA MAPTM process metrics for measuring BP accurately and partnering with patients work in conjunction with interventions to improve BP control.
Apply DRVS functionality to guide improvement with these processes.

Thursday, November 30
1:00 pm CT/12:00 pm MT
Register here

CMS 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Partner Webinars
Join CMS for the 2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Webinars. CMS will provide partners, stakeholders, and Champions for Coverage with critical information, resources, and updated materials to successfully help consumers navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period. Open enrollment runs from November 1, 2023 to January 15, 2024. This series includes three webinars, each scheduled for 2:00 pm CT/1:00 pm MT, on the following dates:

Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

To register for the webinars in the series, please click here.

Improving Access to Health Care Coverage in Rural Communities with Medicaid and CHIP

In this webinar (hosted by the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services staff and partners will discuss important strategies, resources, and best practices for rural community outreach and enrollment and address health equity challenges in rural communities. Speakers will also discuss the importance of partnerships, provide actionable tools, and share materials from the Campaign’s rural health initiative to support outreach.

Thursday, November 9, 2023
2:00 pm CT/1:00 pm MT
Register here.

Beyond the Basics – Billing and Coding Excellence

Join CHAD and Community Link Consulting for a billing and coding training series that goes Beyond the Basics. Billing and coding departments have an incredibly important role in ensuring the financial success of health centers. In this three-part training series, attendees will tackle three difficult and important issues, including staffing for revenue cycle success, revenue opportunities and insurance credentialing. 

Tuesday, November 9, and Thursday, December 14, 2023
3:00 pm CT/2:00 pm MT
Learn more and register here.

Come to the Table

The Root Cause Coalition is proud to be working with the USDA to achieve the goal of ending hunger in the United States by 2030, as set forth by President Biden. Building on the momentum of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, this virtual event is an opportunity to hear from leaders in the field who will share their expertise and experiences in addressing nutrition security and health equity in the UDSA’s Mountain Plains Region (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri).

Tuesday, November 14, 2023
12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT
Register here. 