 
Special
Edition – Thursday, August 31, 2017
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CMS Helping Texas and Louisiana with
Hurricane Harvey Recovery
On August 30, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma announced the efforts that are
underway to support Texas and Louisiana in response to Hurricane Harvey.
Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D.,
declared public health emergencies in both States. Actions include
temporarily waiving or modifying certain Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP) requirements to provide immediate relief to
those affected by the hurricane and resulting floods.
“In light of the natural disaster still unfolding in Texas and
Louisiana, CMS is committed to acting as quickly and effectively as possible
so the States can continue to ensure the vital health care needs of our most
vulnerable beneficiaries are not interrupted,” said CMS Administrator Seema
Verma. “CMS is in constant communication with officials in Texas and
Louisiana to be sure we are doing all we can to support those in the path of
this historic and devastating storm.”
CMS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
are working in close coordination with the Kidney Community Emergency Response
(KCER) Network and the States of Texas and Louisiana to ensure that
beneficiaries have access to facilities to provide their treatments. As the
CMS response continues, other efforts include, supporting Texas and Louisiana
in arranging Special Purpose Renal Dialysis Facilities, transporting patients
to facilities and arranging for new facilities to open in order to serve
beneficiaries without interruption. In Texas, CMS is coordinating with the
workforce on the ground that cares for renal patients to ensure there are
enough facilities to serve beneficiaries in need of dialysis. The agency is
accepting requests from end stage renal disease suppliers to become a
temporary Special Purpose Renal Dialysis Facility (SPRDF).
Since the public health emergencies were declared, CMS has
offered immediate administrative relief actions to Texas and Louisiana
including issuing several general waivers of certain requirements for
specific types of providers in impacted counties and geographical areas.
These waivers work to prevent gaps in access to care for beneficiaries.
With the public health emergency in effect, CMS can also waive
or modify certain Medicare provisions for providers, including certain
deadlines, conditions of participation and certification requirements.
Providers can now submit waiver requests to the state survey agency or the
CMS regional office and they will be evaluated to ensure that they meet the
requirements set out under the law. To help clarify billing instructions, CMS
has issued technical direction to the Medicare Administrative Contractors
regarding the waivers and has reminded area Medicare Advantage plans
regarding their responsibilities to relax certain requirements during a
disaster or emergency.
CMS will continue to work with the States of Texas and
Louisiana. The agency continues to update our emergency page (www.cms.gov/emergency) with important
information for state and local officials, providers, healthcare facilities
and the public.
To read previous updates regarding HHS activities related to
Hurricane Harvey, please visit https://www.hhs.gov/about/news.
To learn more about HHS resources related to Hurricane Harvey,
please visit https://www.hhs.gov/hurricane-harvey.
Hurricane Harvey and Medicare Disaster
Related Texas Claims MLN Matters Article — New
The President declared a state of emergency for Texas and the
HHS Secretary declared a Public Health Emergency for Texas which allows for
CMS programmatic waivers based on Section 1135 of the Social Security
Act. An MLN Matters Special Edition Article on Hurricane Harvey and Medicare Disaster Related Texas
Claims is available. Learn about blanket waivers CMS issued
in the impacted counties and geographical areas in Texas. These waivers will
prevent gaps in coverage for beneficiaries impacted by the emergency.
Check the Hurricanes webpage for current information
on temporary emergency policies and waivers. Additional waiver requests are
being reviewed, and the webpage will be updated as decisions are made.
Tropical Storm Harvey and Medicare Disaster
Related Louisiana Claims MLN Matters Article — New
The President declared a state of emergency for Louisiana and
the HHS Secretary declared a Public Health Emergency for Louisiana which
allows for CMS programmatic waivers based on Section 1135 of the Social
Security Act. An MLN Matters Special Edition Article on Tropical Storm Harvey and Medicare Disaster Related
Louisiana Claims is available. Learn about blanket waivers
CMS issued in the impacted counties and geographical areas in Louisiana.
These waivers will prevent gaps in coverage for beneficiaries impacted by the
emergency.
Check the Hurricanes webpage for current information
on temporary emergency policies and waivers. Additional waiver requests are
being reviewed, and the webpage will be updated as decisions are made.
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