Introducing the ACA
Guidance for AI/ANs and enrollment professionals for culturally specific benefits through the ACA.
Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Issue Date: October 10, 2018
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) can receive culturally specific benefits. The following resources help guide AI/ANs and enrollment professionals through the ACA and the ACA's tribal considerations.
PSAs, Ads, and Radio Spots
Public service announcements (PSAs) and radio spots provide more information on the ACA and how it benefits tribal communities. PSAs and radio spots are available in English and 10 Native languages on the Outreach & Education Native Language PSA Archive.
Newsletter – Covering Indian Country
Keep up with the latest ACA news and outreach tools.
Brochures and Fact Sheets
The following brochures, flyers, and fact sheets explain what is covered under the ACA; how it can benefit AI/AN urban and rural communities; and why it is important for men, women, and children to have health coverage.
- Health Coverage for AI/AN College Students (PDF, 1.6MB) (PDF)
- Bringing Better Health to Native Communities (PDF, 1.84MB) (PDF)
- CHIP, Medicaid, Medicare, and the Health Insurance Marketplace at a Glance (PDF, 2.17MB) (PDF)
- Health Insurance 101 for American Indians (PDF, 1.72MB) (PDF)
- Health Insurance 101 for Alaska Natives (PDF, 2.02MB) (PDF)
- The Value of Health Insurance: Alaska Native (PDF, 4.5MB)
- The Value of Health Insurance: American Indian (PDF, 3.66MB)
- AI/AN Bookmark (PDF, 155KB) (PDF)
- Marketplace Basics (PDF, 1.3MB) (PDF)
Videos
Watch videos featuring Native athletes, mothers, storytellers, and other tribal community members talk about why health coverage matters to them and why it is important for tribal communities.
A Native comic, actor, track and field star, bull rider, jingle dress dancer, storyteller, and singer-songwriter describe why health coverage is important to them when it comes to family, injury, women's health, diabetes care, and prescription coverage. (6:20)
Menominee/Seminole stand-up comic Mitch Factor talks about how coverage for his whole family gives him peace of mind when he is on the road, because hospital stays, prescriptions, and specialists are covered. (2:17)
Health care matters to Colville/Salish-Kootenai/Cherokee actress Kim Guerrero. She discusses being an advocate for Native health and how Marketplace coverage can save American Indians and Alaska Natives from out-of-pocket costs. (2:05)
Developed for tribal communities and tribal clinic waiting rooms, this video provides an overview of the Affordable Care Act, AI/AN-specific provisions; what the ACA means for tribal communities; and what AI/AN community members can continue to receive services from their local IHS, tribal, or urban Indian clinics. (7:38)
Order Materials
Visit the CMS tribal resource ordering page to order resources for your community directly from the CMS warehouse. The resource list is updated monthly as more products are added. Please allow 2 weeks for your order to be completed.
HHS is committed to making its websites and documents accessible to the widest possible audience, including individuals with disabilities. We are in the process of retroactively making some documents accessible. If you need assistance accessing an accessible version of this document, please reach out to the guidance@hhs.gov.
DISCLAIMER: The contents of this database lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law (including Medicare Advantage Rate Announcements and Advance Notices) or as specifically incorporated into a contract. The Department may not cite, use, or rely on any guidance that is not posted on the guidance repository, except to establish historical facts.