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Asian American and Pacific Islander Outreach

Guidance for CMS and its partners work together to reach Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers.

Final

Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Issue Date: September 23, 2020

Partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is key to helping people with Medicare maximize their benefits. By partnering with CMS, you extend the reach and impact of many programs aimed to improve the health and wellness of seniors, people with disabilities, and even their caregivers or employers.

 

Reaching Out to the Asian-American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Population

CMS and its partners work together to reach AANHPI Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. Our goal is to provide reliable, timely and understandable information and educational materials about Medicare health and prescription drug coverage and preventive benefits. When possible, we translate publications into AANHPI languages to meet the needs of Medicare beneficiaries who have Limited English Proficiency.

We reach AANHPI beneficiaries through the efforts of CMS' Central Office and 10 Regional Offices and our partners. CMS and its partners conduct outreach as follows: 

  • Participate in events such as health fairs, conferences, presentations, prescription drug plan enrollment events, and the Medicare bus (Mobile Office Tour) visits. At these events, CMS and partners present information, provide one-on-one assistance and share translated materials.
  • Distribute important information about the Medicare program and upcoming events through press releases, ads in local AANHPI papers and newsletters, radio and television presentations and interviews.
  • Provide Medicare information and assistance directly to beneficiaries, families and caregivers via the 1-800-MEDICARE help-line.
  • Provide information and assistance via the Internet at www.medicare.gov/ (including www.mymedicare.gov )  and on partners' Internet sites.
  • Provide direct assistance with enrollment in a Medicare prescription plan, changing a plan and applying for extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs (low-income subsidy) through a multi-language help-line operated by our partner, the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) The NAPCA help-line provides assistance in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and English.
  • NAPCA Multi-language Help-line phone numbers:
    • Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin): 1-800-582-4218
    • Korean: 1-800-582-4259
    • Vietnamese: 1-800-582-4336
    • English: 1-800-336-2722

For information in American Asian Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander languages like: Cambodian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, and Vietnamese click https://www.medicare.gov/about-us/information-in-other-languages and for the Health Insurance Marketplace click https://www.healthcare.gov/language-resource/#chinese for Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean language information. You can order CMS publications by creating an account in the CMS Product Ordering System: https://productordering.cms.hhs.gov .

*Please find on our Medicaid.gov page, at the link below, our policy regarding available language services for those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/financial-management/medicaid-administrative-claiming/translation-and-interpretation-services/index.html

Resources

CMS Office of Minority Health Resource Center: https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/resource-center .

Medicaid and CHIP Telehealth Toolkit: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/downloads/medicaid-chip-telehealth-toolkit.pdf .

COVID-19 Partner Toolkit: https://www.cms.gov/outreach-education/partner-resources/coronavirus-covid-19-partner-toolkit .

Care Compare Tools: https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/

We look forward to partnering with you on Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander health issues! Please direct any questions to the Partner Relations mailbox: Partnership@cms.hhs.gov .

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.