Sun Mar 20 is National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Sun Mar 20 marks the fifth annual National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a serious health threat to Native communities, and this national health observance recognizes the mounting impact of HIV/AIDS on our country's Native peoples - American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ask that you join in this national effort to raise awareness of the risks of the disease to Native peoples and help them understand the dynamics contributing to those risks. What Can You Do? As a provider of healthcare services to Native populations, we ask that you help promote HIV/AIDS prevention and early detection by talking with your patients about the risks of HIV/AIDS and the importance of prevention, and encourage them to get screened for HIV. Your support can help further the efforts to decrease the occurrence of HIV/AIDS among Native people. Medicare Coverage: Screenings for HIV are covered by Medicare, for eligible beneficiaries: § Who are categorized as grade A (strongly recommended) or grade B (recommended) ratings by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and who meet certain other requirements. (Please refer to the CMS "NCD for Screening for HIV" and the USPSTF "Screening for HIV Recommendation Statement" listed below for additional details.) § For both standard and FDA approved HIV rapid screening tests. § If screening is reasonable and necessary for early detection of HIV and is appropriate for individuals entitled to benefits under Part A or enrolled under Part B. For More Information: § CMS National Coverage Determination - NCD for Screening for HIV<http://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/details/nca-details.aspx?NCAId=229&ver=19&NcaName=Screening+for+the+Human+Immunodeficiency+Virus+(HIV)+Infection&bc=BEAAAAAAAAAA&> § US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) - Screening for HIV Recommendation Statement<http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf05/hiv/hivrs.htm#clinical> * Indian Health Service HIV/AIDS Program - http://www.IHS.gov/MedicalPrograms/HIVAIDS<http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/HIVAIDS/> * CDC National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - http://www.CDC.gov/Features/NativeHIVAIDS<http://www.cdc.gov/Features/NativeHIVAIDS/> * National Native American AIDS Prevention Center - http://www.NNAAPC.org/news/awareness-day.htm<http://www.nnaapc.org/news/awareness-day.htm> We have the ability to make a difference! Thank you for your support. Tue Mar 22 is American Diabetes Alert Day Please join with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during American Diabetes Alert Day to help inform seniors and other people with Medicare about the seriousness of diabetes. Currently, 25.8 million Americans are living with diabetes and an additional 79 million (or one in three American adults) are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. If left undiagnosed and untreated, diabetes may increase the risk for complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney damage, amputations, and death related to pneumonia and flu. Medicare Coverage: Medicare provides coverage of the following diabetes-related services for qualified Medicare beneficiaries: * Diabetes screening tests * Diabetes self-management training (DSMT) * Diabetes supplies * Dilated eye exam (for diabetic retinopathy) * Foot care * Glaucoma screening * Hemoglobin A1c tests * Influenza and pneumococcal immunizations * Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) What Can You Do? As a health care professional who provides services to seniors and other people with Medicare, CMS needs your help to ensure that all eligible Medicare beneficiaries take advantage of the diabetes screening tests as well as all of the other diabetes-related services they may be eligible to receive. For More Information: * Diabetes-Related Services Brochure - This brochure provides Medicare fee-for-service providers with an overview of Medicare-covered diabetes screening tests, DSMT, MNT, supplies and other services for Medicare beneficiaries. http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/DiabetesSvcs.pdf<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/DiabetesSvcs.pdf> * Quick Reference Information: Medicare Preventive Services - This chart provides coverage and coding information on Medicare-covered preventive services, including diabetes-related services. http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MPS_QuickReferenceChart_1.pdf<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MPS_QuickReferenceChart_1.pdf> * The Guide to Medicare Preventive Services for Physicians, Providers, Suppliers, and Other Health Care Professionals - This comprehensive resource provides coverage and coding information on the array of Medicare-covered preventive services and screenings, including diabetes-related services. http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf> * The CMS Prevention Website - Provides healthcare providers with information on Medicare's coverage of diabetes-related services and screening tests. http://www.CMS.gov/home/Medicare.asp<http://www.cms.gov/home/Medicare.asp> * National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) - NDEP is a partnership of the National Institutes of Health<http://www.nih.gov>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<http://www.cdc.gov/>, and more than 200 public and private organizations. NDEP has a number of resources including PowerPoint slides; factsheets; PSAs for print, television, and radio; logos; feature articles; and web banners. http://www.YourDiabetesInfo.org/AlertDay2011<http://www.yourdiabetesinfo.org/AlertDay2011> * American Diabetes Alert Day - Visit the American Diabetes Association's website at http://www.Diabetes.org/in-my-community/programs/alert-day<http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/programs/alert-day> to learn more about American Diabetes Alert Day. Thank you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ March Flu Shot Reminder It's Not too Late to Give and Get the Flu Vaccine. Take advantage of each office visit and continue to protect your patients against the seasonal flu. Medicare will continue to pay for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for all Medicare beneficiaries through the entire flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that patients, health care workers and caregivers be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get Your Flu Vaccine - Not the Flu. Remember - Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For information about Medicare's coverage of the influenza vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for health care professionals and their staff, please visit the following CMS websites: http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/Flu_Products.pdf and http://www.cms.gov/AdultImmunizations. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
