Diabetes Program Manager. Tegan Maynard Hahn, RN BSN. Yoga Classes at the Helena Indian Alliance

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1 F e b r u a r y H I A n e w s l e t t e r Yoga Classes at the Helena Indian Alliance Tegan Maynard Hahn, RN BSN Diabetes Program Manager Helena Indian Alliance/Leo Pocha Clinic 501 Euclid Ave, Helena, MT (406) ext.108 If one of your new year s resolutions is to exercise more, relax more, or just have more fun, then we have a great opportunity for you! You may still sign-up and the classes will end on March 8th. An eight-week series of free yoga classes for community members will begin January 19, The emphasis of this gentle yoga series is on supporting individuals with diabetes and those at risk of developing diabetes, however anyone interested and willing to commit to the 8 week series is welcome to attend! Classes will be held from 9:00-10:15 am, Tuesday mornings. To sign up visit us at the clinic front desk or call Classes will be taught by talented and experienced yoga instructors, Kim Schleicher of the Dancing Lotus Center, and Michele Steele of the Gentle Healing Wellness Center. Mats and props will be provided. Please contact the clinic with any questions Wishing you good health in the new year! A.C.T. Prime for Life Course & Assessment Schedule Cycle S-2 begins February 2016 Saturdays 02/20/ /27/2016 Cycle 3 Thursdays for March /03/ /10/ /17/ /24/2016 Yoga 1 Calendar 2 Diabetes 3 Affordable Care Act 4 Affordable Care Act Tax forms 5 Affordable Care Act 6 HIA Tobacco Program 7

2 February 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 YOGA Classes 9am to 10:15am VENESSA S BIRTHDAY AA 10AM 8 Walk-In Clinic 8:30am-9:30am 9 YOGA Classes 9am to 10:15am 10 Big Sky Meeting Board Meeting 5:30 pm Crossing Service For Bernadene Wallace 5:30pm Details below. 14 AA 10AM 21 AA 10AM 15 CLOSED PRESIDENTS DAY 22 Walk-In Clinic 8:30am-9:30am 16 YOGA Classes 9am to 10:15am 23 YOGA Classes 9am to 10:15am Passion Plunge Spring Meadow 10am Prime for life 8am to 2pm Prime for life 8am to 2pm 28 AA 10AM 29 Walk-In Clinic 8:30am-9:30am Bernadene Wallace: There will be a memorial crossing service for Bernadene Wallace who was from Ft. Belknap at the Episcopal Church 511 N. Park Ave. 5:30pm on Saturday February 13,2106. Dinner will be provided after the service. Clifford Stone, adopted son is in charge of the arrangements. Page 2

3 Diabetes Education Day! Join us Thursday February 4, 2016 Stop by our table anytime between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm in the Helena Indian Alliance Board Room Healthy snacks and information provided! February is Heart Health Month, so we ll be focusing on the relationship between heart health and diabetes, we ll also be talking about what s new in our diabetes programing at Leo Pocha. Bring your questions and feedback! A nurse will be on hand to provide information. Love with all your heart. February is American Heart Month. You can reduce your risk for heart disease. You can live a long, healthy life, and be there for your loved ones. Use tobacco in traditional ways only. Eat a healthy diet. Walk every day. Love with all your heart. Produced by IHS Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention, Page 3

4 Affordable Care Act (ACA) update Remember that although ACA health insurance enrollment is now closed for many people, it is open for members of federally recognized Native American tribes all year! You can still apply for the first time, or change your current plan. It is still important to update your information for 2016 if you haven t already so your tax credit can be recalculated. A yearly update can save you money not only on your insurance plan, but also on your taxes. Medicaid Expansion update Medicaid Expansion includes DENTAL and VISION coverage! You can still apply for Medicaid Expansion. Many people have come into HIA and filled out applications and been found eligible! You can come into the Helena Indian Alliance for an application and get help in-person, or you may visit or call , 24-hours a day. If you have already applied and were found eligible for Medicaid, look for your benefits information package from the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS). If you have not received information from DPHHS, or have other Medicaid questions, you can check on your application status by calling the State of Montana free Medicaid helpline Native Americans eligible for Montana Medicaid should be under Traditional Medicaid, and not have any monthly premium to pay, or owe any co-pay for medical appointments. If you are Native American and are being charged these fees, call the Montana Medicaid Helpline to make sure your application is marked that you are Native American. If you are not Native American, you may be part of the Montana Medicaid HELP Plan and have a monthly premium to pay and owe co-pays for healthcare appointments. Read your mail from the Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS) carefully for any payment instructions. The Medicaid paperwork may ask you to list your Passport Provider. Your Passport Provider is your primary healthcare location. If our HIA Leo Pocha Clinic is your primary healthcare location, you can choose (if listed) or write in Helena Indian Alliance on the Medicaid paperwork. Call HIA at x127 to make an appointment with Julie for help filling out your application. Page 4

5 Affordable Care Act Taxes You can now claim the tax penalty exemption for Native Americans on IRS Form 8965 when you file your taxes (if you did not have health insurance for all or part of 2015). Although you still have the option of sending the Exemption Application through the mail, you may find using the new 1-page tax form easier. You are exempt from the requirement to purchase health insurance if you can show evidence of: Enrollment in a federally recognized Tribe; or Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) shareholder status (village or regional), or; Eligibility to receive services from the Indian Health Service, tribes or tribal organizations, or Urban Indian Organizations, such as the Helena Indian Alliance/Leo Pocha Clinic. Use IRS Tax Form 8965 "Health Coverage Exemptions" to claim the Exemption. You can pick up this form here at the Helena Indian Alliance, or jburrows@helenaindianalliance.com and we will a copy to you. We can also help you fill out the form. Frequently asked questions about the tax penalty Exemption: Q: What if I already received a response from the Health Insurance Marketplace and have my Exemption Certificate Number? A: Keep the letter with the Exemption Certificate Number (ECN) for you and/or your family, and report the Exemption Certificate Number on IRS Tax Form 8965 "Health Coverage Exemptions." Q: What if I sent in my Exemption Application but haven't heard anything on it yet? A: A letter from the Health Insurance Marketplace could still arrive. If you don't receive a letter with an Exemption Certificate Number, you can still claim the Native American tax penalty Exemption on IRS Tax Form Q: What if I lost the letter with my Exemption Certificate Number? A: If you received your Exemption Certificate Number in the mail and misplaced the letter, you can still claim the Exemption on IRS Tax Form 8965 "Health Coverage Exemptions". Page 5

6 The Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) will soon send a letter to individuals who may be enrolled in both Medicaid and a Qualified Health Plan. Below are instructions from DPHHS for what you can do if you are enrolled in both: If you previously had health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace at it s important that you cancel your old Marketplace health insurance plan right away. If you have not had health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you can stop reading. This does not apply to you. When you signed up for Montana Medicaid, the Marketplace may not have cancelled the insurance plan you had before. This could have been a BlueCross BlueShield plan, PacificSource plan, or Montana Healthcare Coop plan. Now that you are enrolled in Montana Medicaid, you need to cancel your Marketplace health insurance plan right away to avoid any potential tax penalties. It could take a while for your cancellation to take effect, so it s important to cancel as soon as possible. How to Cancel Your Marketplace Plan 1. Call the Marketplace call center and ask them to cancel both your health plan and your tax credits. Call (TTY: ). Record the date and time that you call and the name of the representative you talk with, and save for future reference. 2. Call the health insurance company and let them know that your old plan must be cancelled because you are currently enrolled in Medicaid. Record the date and time that you call, the name of the representative, and a reference or confirmation number if available. If you are having trouble cancelling your old health plan, please contact the Office of the Insurance Commissioner for help. Call or file a complaint at You can also call and/or make an appointment here at the Helena Indian Alliance with Julie for in-person help. Page 6

7 February 16 th through the 22 nd is Threw with Chew week. We are hoping to get some quit spit kits by Feb. 16 th if you are interested in a kit please keep an eye out on our Facebook page, as I will be announcing when they come in! ATTENTION NATIVE YOUTH AND ADULTS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING MEETINGS! Starting Febuary 4 th there will be youth/adult meeting every other Thursday (Feb. 4 th and 18 th ) as we gain more interest and members, we will move to every Thursday! Who uses smokeless tobacco? 15% of high school boys use smokeless tobacco, and an estimated 9% of all high school students use smokeless tobacco. 3.5% of all adults use smokeless tobacco. Among the 50 states and DC, smokeless tobacco use was highest in Wyoming (9.1%), West Virginia (8.5%), and Mississippi (7.5%). In all 50 states and DC, smokeless tobacco use was significantly higher among men than women; smokeless tobacco use among men ranged from 2.0% (DC) to 17.1% (West Virginia). Data suggests that men, young adults (aged years), and those with a high school education or less are more likely to use smokeless tobacco. How is smokeless tobacco harmful? Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents (carcinogens). Smokeless tobacco is a known cause of cancer; it causes oral and pancreatic cancer. Smokeless tobacco is also strongly associated with leukoplakia a precancerous lesion of the soft tissue in the mouth that consists of a white patch or plaque that cannot be scraped off. Smokeless tobacco is associated with recession of the gums, gum disease, and tooth decay. Smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy increases the risks for preeclampsia (i.e., a condition that may include high blood pressure, fluid retention, and swelling), premature birth, and low birth weight. February 2016

8 501 Euclid Ave. Helena, MT Big Sky/Board meeting for February is Wednesday Feb. 10, :30pm Next Big Sky/Board meeting will be March 09, :30 pm