Spotlight: Medicare open enrollment
Medicare open enrollment begins October 15 and runs through December 7.
Having Medicare coverage increases people’s access to the services that help them stay well. Additionally, revenue from Medicare enables tribal health programs to use those funds to provide more services than they would otherwise.
Typically, people become eligible for Medicare when they turn 65 or have received certain disability benefits for at least 2 years. Enrollment assisters should encourage anyone eligible for Medicare to:
Need information tailored to Native people whose income and resources limit their ability to pay for Medicare? Download and share the Medicare Savings Programs brochure (PDF, 261 KB, 2 pp).
Know someone for whom it might make sense to choose the Marketplace instead of Medicare for health care coverage? Read Medicare & the Health Insurance Marketplace (PDF, 980 KB, 3 pp) to learn more.
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October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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Share this ad in your newsletter or on your website. For more information, please visit CMS’s Outreach and Education Resources page.
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 Post it
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Early detection matters. Ask your provider which cancer screening options are right for you.
#CMSNativeHealth
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CMS tribal products
Access these online, tribal-specific resources anytime.
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Help prevent domestic violence by providing Native people with the skills and confidence to recognize what positive interactions between intimate partners look like
One relevant handout is Paths to Healthy Relationships (PDF, 518 KB, 1 p), which highlights the importance of communication, consent, and self-respect.
Offered by the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, the handout can be used to foster conversations about setting boundaries and identifying abusive behaviors.
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Breast cancer awareness
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this year, Indigenous Pink Day is October 16. Both observances highlight the importance of breast cancer screening.
Breast cancer is easier to treat when it is found early. However, the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) reports that Native women are frequently diagnosed at later stages of breast cancer.
Help increase breast cancer screening rates in Indian Country by sharing two infographics from AICAF’s Indigenous Pink web page.
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My Mammogram Tools (PDF, 4.4 MB, 1 p) helps people understand what to expect during a common procedure to look for breast cancer.
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My Mammogram Results (PDF, 3.9 MB, 1 p) lists examples of different findings that may require follow-up.
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Indigenous evaluation toolkits and training
Seven Directions at the University of Washington offers various Indigenous evaluation resources for public health professionals and their community partners. The resources include:
The toolkits provide actionable guidance for programs to help prevent opioid use disorder, suicide, impaired driving, and adverse childhood experiences. The training course helps teams translate Indigenous values and knowledge into a cyclical learning process with actionable steps.
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Scholarships for Indigenous health winter institute
Deadline: November 7, 2025, at 5 p.m. Eastern
View the winter institute funding opportunity
The Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health is offering scholarships for its 2026 winter institute, which will teach the following courses online via Zoom:
- An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding the Health of American Indians, January 5–9, 2026, 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Eastern
- Indigenous Harm Reduction, January 12–16, 2026, 3–6:30 p.m. Eastern
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Tribal injury prevention
Deadline: November 13, 2025
View the tribal injury prevention funding opportunity
The Indian Health Service (IHS) Injury Prevention Program (IPP) is offering funds for focused, community-based programs and projects to help prevent injuries and violence.
IHS IPP expects to award up to 30 cooperative agreements. Tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations are eligible to apply.
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Telebehavioral health webinars
The Indian Health Service TeleBehavioral Health Center of Excellence (TBHCE) is sponsoring the following tele-education webinars for health care team members:
Behavioral Health Integration webinar series, 12 p.m. Eastern
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October 9 – Improving Outcomes & Value: Importance of Measurement-Based Care for Integrated Care Teams
Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health webinar series, 2 p.m. Eastern
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October 9 – Autism in Adulthood: Unique Challenges and Supports to Increase Independence and Quality of Life
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October 16 – Advances in Telehealth Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Evaluations
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Webinar on using creative arts expression to explore and treat trauma
October 16, 2 p.m. Eastern
Register for the webinar on creative arts expression and trauma
This webinar will highlight ways of integrating culturally grounded arts practices into behavioral health programs that address conflict, suicide prevention, and recovery from addiction. Each attendee can expect to bring at least one practical technique back to their community.
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10th Annual Native American Women’s Conference
November 6–7
Fort McDowell, Arizona
Register for the Native American Women’s Conference
The theme of this year’s Native American Women’s Conference is “Keepers of Tradition – Embracing Our Stories.” Professionals, leaders, and managers are encouraged to attend.
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82nd Annual NCAI Convention & Marketplace
November 16–21
Seattle, Washington
Register for the 82nd Annual NCAI Convention & Marketplace
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) invites members, allies, tribal leaders, and Native youth to its annual event to discuss important issues and develop strategies for protecting and advancing tribal sovereignty.
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Contact us
Do you have news to share? Send it to coveringic@kauffmaninc.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too.
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About the newsletter
Covering Indian Country is published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Division of Tribal Affairs to share resources, success stories, and best practices with the people who connect tribal communities to health care coverage.
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