CKF NEWS & VIEWS
Covering Kids & Families of Indiana Newsletter   
May 11, 2023
POLICY UPDATE
Indiana General Assembly Update
The 2023 Indiana General Assembly adjourned sine die in the early hours of Friday, April 28th after passing the biennial, meaning "taking place every other year", budget. This budget included $75M in FY 24 and $150M in FY 25 to support a public/private partnership approach to local public health services. It also includes funding for FSSA's updated Medicaid reimbursement rate proposal for dentists, home health agencies, and other waiver service providers and increases reimbursement for physician services to 100% of Medicare (vs. 83%). It will be the guide for state spending for the next two years.

One of the Covering Kids & Families public policy priorities is to "advocate at state and local levels to increase and maintain coverage." That's why CKF is celebrating the passage of HB 1091. This bill removes the 5-year waiting period for Medicaid coverage for lawfully residing immigrants who are pregnant or under 19, and provides continuous coverage for enrollees less than 19 years of age.

You can find the complete list of bills CKF-IN tracked this session at the link below. On the spreadsheet you can also read the digest of the bills, see what was passed and what wasn't, and follow the link to each bill's page on the IGA website.
What's Next?
  • At least two bills from this session and one bill from last session require FSSA to submit a State Plan Amendment (SPA) in order for the Medicaid provisions to be allowable. CKF will advocate for expedient action.

  • The federal government is negotiating raising the debt ceiling and one of the proposed provisions - found in H. R. 2811 - is new work requirements for Medicaid. The Kaiser Family Foundation published a brief on the topic, which you can check out here.
NEWS FROM THE INDIANA SCHOOL HEALTH NETWORK
Final Call for Nominations!

Do you know someone who is a strong advocate for student health or a healthy school environment? Someone who has made outstanding contributions to improving statewide processes and policies that benefit Indiana schools? Someone who promotes school wellness policies, school health behaviors and activities in Indiana? Would you like to see them recognized for their work?

The Indiana School Health Network and Covering Kids & Families of Indiana are currently seeking nominations for the Governor & Cheri Daniels School Health Award. The award winner will be recognized at the 2023 Indiana School Health Network Conference. 

The deadline for nominations is May 12, 2023.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
 
This year’s conference School Health: Connecting the Pieces gives you the opportunity to connect with individuals, organizations, schools, and communities with whom you work.

Visit great exhibits and get the latest news and updates from school health professionals. Network with your peers and win prizes! Dynamic speakers, subject matter experts, exhibitors and networking opportunities will provide you with valuable information, resources, and inspiration to move your initiatives forward.
 
Since 2008, the Indiana School Health Network has assembled key stakeholders and experts in school health for the annual School Health Conference.  Each year, professionals from a wide variety of disciplines attend the conference including but not limited to:

  • Educators and School Administrators
  • Healthcare Professionals
  • School Health Professionals
  • Social Workers
  • Outreach & Enrollment Specialists
  • Managed Care Professionals
  • Child Health Advocates
  • Government Program Partners
 
The Indiana School Health Network has been approved for 10 hours of continuing education (CE) hours for social work (LBSW, LSW, LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, LAC, LCAC) to the Indiana University School of Social Work. 

This activity has been submitted to the Ohio Nurses Association for approval to award contact hours. The Ohio Nurses Association is an Ohio Board of Nursing approver of nursing continuing education. (OBN-001-91).

The Indiana School Health Network has applied for 10 hours of continuing education (CE) hours for Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) to the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

A certificate of attendance will also be available.

Masks are recommended for all conference attendees and guests of ISHN while inside the building and when it is not possible to be socially distanced. Any registered attendee who cannot make the conference due to feeling unwell or for any other reason can request their registration be applied to the June 2024 conference.
School Nurse AND Teacher Appreciation Week
Covering Kids & Families of Indiana would like to acknowledge and thank the school nurses and teachers for their commitment to Hoosier students' success. As they continue to go beyond the call of duty, we want them to know that we see all of their efforts and appreciate everything they do. 
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OUTREACH & ENROLLMENT
Fraud Alert
Consumers are encouraged to be wary of scammers during the unwinding. Messages for Navigators to share include:
  • Government agencies and health insurance providers will not call and ask for money.
  • Be cautious of anyone asking for personal, medical, or financial information if you did not initiate the call.
  • Indiana certified navigators will never ask for money or pressure you into signing up for a plan.
  • If consumers suspect a scam, report it immediately to https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/ or by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477)
Employer Coverage and the Unwinding

As Medicaid returns to normal rules, some Hoosiers will be over income for Medicaid and will want to sign up for employer sponsored insurance. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted a “Unwinding and Employers” webinar encouraging employers to help with education efforts and to offer employees assistance with employer sponsored insurance special enrollment periods (SEPs). Employers are required to provide a SEP when an employee or family member loses Medicaid because they are no longer eligible.

They also suggested some actions employers can take:
  • Offer enrollment flexibilities (i.e. more than 60 days)
  • Help with education efforts to consumers (i.e. encourage employees with Medicaid to update their contact information with the State)
  • Ensure HR staff know the rules and are sharing with employees

Resources at links below:
  1. Webinar from March 2023 geared toward employers with discussion of work based coverage starting at minute 25
  2. Flier from the Department of Labor
  3. FAQ for consumers by Beyond the Basics from April 2023
FAQ
Marketplace SEPs
Beyond the Basics has a new and very detailed recorded webinar on Marketplace special enrollment periods (SEPs). They have also updated their SEP Reference Chart.
Unwinding Coverage Fact Sheet 
Families USA released a new fact sheet in English and Spanish for consumers explaining their choices if they lose coverage during the unwinding.
Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Trackers
Both Kaiser Family Foundation and Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families have a 50 state unwinding tracker.
May is Mental Health Month
Mental Health America is offering a Mental Health Month Outreach Toolkit to help organizations raise awareness. The toolkit includes potential activities, newsletter articles, social media posts, fact sheets, posters and more! Click the picture for all the details.
Enrollment Trends

Total Membership increased again in March. With 2,219,595 members, there were 14,495, or 0.66%, more members in March 2023 than in February 2023.
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